Time for Connacht to wake up and stagger

On Rugby: These are heady days for Connacht, but nervous days as well, Gerry Thornley writes.

For all their resilience on and off the field when threatened with the extinction of their representative side last season, there remains the constant fear that the Sword of Damocles lurks in 62 Lansdowne Road and will continue to hang over them unless they continually perform.

In the absence of a long-term commitment to the province's professional side, Connacht are living a hand-to-mouth, season-by-season existence which is hardly ideal. At least, however, their highly creditable achievements on the pitch this season have ensured the IRFU's commitment for next season at any rate.

So, after Connacht's ups and downs since the heady days of the Warren Gatland era - down under Glenn Ross, up again under Steph Nel followed by his departure and a mass exodus of players amid fears for their future, before this season's spirited revival - successive seasons under the impressive and upwardly mobile Michael Bradley with a largely unchanged squad represents relative stability.

It is the least Connacht deserve after coming within a point of a place in the Celtic Cup final, holding their own in seventh place in the Celtic League, above Munster and Leinster, and most of all battling through two-legged ties against Beziers, Pau and Narbonne to reach the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

Already, 800 travel packages have been snapped up by Connacht supporters for their first leg against NEC Harlequins at the Stoop on April 11th. There has surely never been a bigger away-day travelling support in the province's history. Coupled with support from Irish expats in London, it is conceivable that their support will equal or even eclipse that of the London club.

Nothing counts quite like matches against the other provinces and Saturday's 35-24 win over Leinster was an important means of underlining Connacht's worth on the pitch. Ironically, they have fewer non-Irish-qualified players than any of the other provinces this season and Saturday's entertaining victory was also vindication of their development of home-grown players.

Bernard Jackman and Darren Yapp have forced their way into the Irish squad, Conor McPhillips looks like quite a find who would otherwise have missed the provincial net, while the likes of John O'Sullivan, Conor O'Loughlin and Damien Browne continue to develop, and the likes of Matt Lacey and Andrew Farley underline the value of Connacht's profitable links with the Exiles.

Yet, however much Connacht punch their weight on the pitch, what the IRFU see as relatively modest public support for the team remains a stick that can be used to beat them. Though there have been some good attendances at the Sportsground (notably the 4,500 at the Narbonne game) and Dubarry Park, the attendance on Saturday wasn't much more than 1,000. This is hardly surprising though, given that the only two AIB League games in the province, Galwegians v Blackrock and Corinthians v Ballina, kicked off simultaneously nearby in Galway.

This is plainly ridiculous, all the more so when one of the matches involved two Connacht teams, especially bearing in mind last season's threat to the provincial team. You'd have thought the Connacht Branch and their clubs would have worked more closely together to the benefit of all concerned. But this is by no means the first time it has happened, nor is the problem in any way unique to Connacht.

A full All-Ireland League programme in Leinster also clashed with the province's European Cup game against Biarritz at Lansdowne Road last December and it was in part the failure of the clubs to change their kick-off times that day that provoked exasperated union figures to intensify their plans for diluting the AIL. If the clubs cannot agree a change to kick-off times, what chance of them agreeing a new format for the All-Ireland League? However, it's all very well the IRFU shaking their heads at the clubs' failure to agree even a change to kick-off time and wringing their hands of responsibility.

As long as the rules state that any change must be agreed between the two clubs concerned, then the away clubs have it in their power to simply dig their heels in and refuse any change on the grounds it would disrupt their travel plans.

The potential for disagreement is exacerbated by suspicions that any change, especially to a later kick-off time or a Sunday afternoon, might facilitate the desire of opponents to play provincial players who played less than 40 minutes for their provinces that same weekend.

To simplify the process for changing kick-off times to avoid clashes, the IRFU should establish an arbitrator or three-man arbitration panel to hear requests and submissions from clubs and then adjudicate. It is the union's responsibility to show some leadership on this issue. The presence of floodlights and Friday night kick-offs, as at Ulster, Leinster and Munster games, as well as Connacht's games in Dubarry Park, would help.

Contrary to popular belief, the Connacht CEO, Gerry Kelly, maintains there is an agreement in place with Bord na gCon for the province to play Friday night games in the Sportsground up until a 6.30 p.m. kick-off, after which greyhound meetings could be started as late as 8.30 p.m. or so.

Alas, in these more penurious times, the IRFU's offer to install floodlights is no longer on the table, but the Connacht Branch are making planning applications for installing floodlights at the Sportsground, with a view to raising the funds themselves in time to possibly have them installed for next season.

Failing that, or a stronger lead from the union, then Connacht and its clubs will have to start working more closely together and planning fixture lists in advance. Clashes like Saturday's and their inevitable consequences merely give their detractors a stick to beat them with.