Friend confident Connacht close to turning a corner

Connacht’s need to turn frustration into celebration will be turned up a notch with the first of two successive fixtures against Welsh opposition.

First up is a Friday home match against the Scarlets, who also have secured only one victory in their opening five games. However a draw with fellow Welsh outfit Ospreys and three bonus points sees Dwayne Peel’s side in a more comfortable 13th spot on the URC table.

Coaching director Andy Friend says despite the frustration, the start has not dampened Connacht’s “burning energy” to get it right.

“Frustration is the right word and that is what it feels like. There is a lot of frustration because we feel we are close, but haven’t nailed it yet,” he says.

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“The important thing is, if you lose the confidence, you start doubting. We are not blind to say it’s working when it’s not, so we are looking for edges to get it clicking, so there’s a mountain of work to do.

“But at the end of the day I know they work and the coaches know they work, so we will stay strong for that, and try to get the performance that A, shows us that we have been working, and B, gives us the win.”

Friend expects to reshuffle his deck again this week to give some players a rest and to “freshen up” his squad.

“We’ve been quite clinical in giving opportunities to players. We had some very banged up bodies at the end of that game so we need to try to freshen it up and no doubt look to give a few other rested bodies from last week the opportunity this week.”

Friend is also waiting on news of prop Peter Dooley’s scan for a hamstring injury, while centre Tom Farrell has returned to full training after recovering from a back injury.

However it is likely too soon for Diarmuid Kilgallen (wrist), Sean Masterson Achilles), Shane Delahunt (hamstring) and Dominic Robertson McCoy (calf).

While upbeat about his side’s new-found physicality and intent, the coaching director says Connacht are simply not clinical enough and, despite the Scarlets boasting a host of internationals, they are similarly placed. As a result Friend knows they will be targeting the Sportsground for a win on Friday night.

“A multiple of things are letting us down – whether it’s a lost lineout, a maul or a ball that goes to ground. There is an enormous want to to get it right, but at the same time, also a desire to tidy up some of the errors we are getting.

“The more you try sometimes, the harder it can get, but what I do love is that we are not talking lack of physicality or intent. If they didn’t turn up on the night, I’d be very frustrated, so I am keeping a positive voice on it because I do believe with one win out of five we haven’t clicked yet, and we need it to start pretty quickly.”

Friend believes Connacht can do damage, but until they get their “physicality alined with accuracy”, they are not going to win. And since mental skills coach Jack Birtwhistle is no longer employed by Connacht, Friend says they are seeking support for that area.

“I am a believer that body, craft, and mind are the three pillars of professional sport. We do spend a lot time getting our body and craft right, and the mind is something we have spent time on. It is an area we need to continue to look to invest, and we are trying to find other ways to do that – working with individuals to make sure their head space is right, because it is a pressure cooker environment.

“At the moment we don’t have anybody in-house and we are seeking the support of others for key individuals who we think can benefit from it, and let’s hope it pays dividends.”