Stakes so high for Connacht in Millennium decider

JOHNNY WATTERSONon how hopes are high west of the Shannon that Leinster can prevail and thereby secure Connacht a place in the Heineken Cup

IF THE tension in Dublin is heightening as Saturday draws near, around the rugby clubs of Galway there is a growing frisson of anxiety about Saturday’s Heineken Cup final. As Connacht CEO Gerry Kelly observed:

“There’s never been as many in the West of Ireland hoping Leinster would win a game of rugby as there is now.”

If Leinster defeat Northampton, it’s lights, camera, action time for Connacht, who are into next season’s Heineken Cup. For Connacht that’s more money, more players, more demands. They haven’t been standing still.

“It would be our intention to attract a big name or a couple of big names if not this year then next year,” says Kelly.

“It’s a challenge. The Professional Games Board (PGB) is looking at that closely. We had a big name lined up (All Black centre, Benson Stanley) this season but it didn’t materialise. We are still looking. From next season I would say you’ll see a big name in Connacht.”

Connacht’s ultimate success will depend on finance. The IRFU’s player income is similar across the board for the provinces, although Munster and Leinster receive top-ups because of their international contingent. The bigger provinces need maximum-sized squads of 38 players to Connacht’s proposed squad size of 36 including academy players. Still, Leinster and Munster would pull in at least twice the revenue of Connacht from their drawing power and commercial activity.

“Player quality is always a challenge,” says Kelly. “But we’d see the Heineken Cup as also making Connacht more attractive for players. We’ve gotten three or four from Ulster and Paul O’Donoghue from Leinster. It’s a difficult market now with the World Cup. After that there will probably be a flurry of signatures.”

Connacht’s attractiveness would depend on their pool teams. But Kelly looks to some of their provincial matches and Amlin Challenge games, Toulon in particular, which attracted 7,500 to the Sportsground. When they played London Irish in Galway in the Amlin Challenge Pool stage, they pulled in 5,000 spectators. Those are healthy numbers.

“The interprovincial games now are big crowd-pullers,” says Kelly. “If we could do that for the Heineken Cup and the three interpro matches, it would be a significant step for us. The commercial side would also

increase.”

Connacht do not receive television money directly from Sky. That revenue goes to the ERC and they disburse it to the IRFU before it filters down to the provinces. With Connacht in the competition that would increase but, as Kelly points out, it is chicken and egg. To be successful they need money and players and to get those they need success. But the possibility of being thrashed by European heavyweight like Leicester or Toulouse would make for poor optics for Connacht. That scenario is unlikely, Kelly believes.

“We are not easy to beat in the Sportsground,” he says. “I would expect us to be competitive. You can find yourself in a tough pool in the Amlin, teams such as Harlequins, Wasps, Stade Francais. Those are very good sides. I would like to think that knowing how competitive we are we would not be easy to beat in the Heineken Cup in Galway.”

So far props Stewart Maguire (Leinster) and Jamie Stevens (Galwegians), hooker Ethienne Reynecke (Stormers on loan from Saracens), number eight George Naoupu (returning from Kobi Steelers), back rowers TJ Anderson (Ulster), Eoghan Grace (Exeter Chiefs), scrum halves Paul O’Donoghue (Leinster), Dave Moore (Harlequins), outhalves Mathew Jarvis (Ospreys), Niall O’Connor (Ulster), backs James Loxton (Cardiff Blues), Mark McCrea (Ulster) and New Zealand’s Fetu’u Vainkola (Highlanders) are on their way to Galway. More back line players will follow.

As they might say out west, this weekend at least. Laighean abú.