Union rethink a mixed bonus for Connacht

Celtic League: The Celtic League is set to receive a timely boost on the eve of its resumption this weekend with news that the IRFU have agreed to have Ireland's Heineken Cup qualification rankings based on the provinces' final standings in the league - albeit with one significant rider: the union will reserve the right, under the Paris Accord, to nominate which three provinces will represent Ireland.

In other words, although no union spokesperson will say it in so many words, the participation of the big three - Munster, Leinster and Ulster - will remain a fait accompli, with no place for Connacht unless they win the Parker Pen Challenge Cup outright. Then, under the ERC's own rules, Connacht would qualify by right.

However, although confusion reigned as to how all of this will be put into operation, Michael Bradley's team could have a second avenue of qualifying for the European Cup via the Celtic League. The ERC committee have proposed the highest-placed non-qualifier in the Celtic League meet the third-ranked Italian side in a one-off play-off on Italian soil for the 24th place in the European Cup.

In effect this would be the highest-ranked team in the Celtic League between the fourth-placed Irish side, fourth-placed Welsh side and third-placed Scottish side. If the Irish team is ranked highest, whether it is Connacht, that would seem to suggest the westerners would progress to a play-off against Italian opposition.

"It's not an issue we've actually discussed," admitted John Hussey, chairman of both the IRFU management committee and the Celtic League committee, "but I'm sure the Celtic League would probably be comfortable with this."

The Celtic League committee meets again in October.

The main beneficiaries would appear to be Ulster, who know they can obtain a higher Irish ranking by dint of their final standing in the Celtic League and in theory earn a better European Cup draw than has been their lot in recent years regardless of performances in Europe. Hence either Munster or Leinster (who opposed this proposed new Celtic League ranking) could conceivably win the European Cup but end up being ranked third of the Irish depending on Celtic League standings.

The Union's compromise is something of an Irish solution to an Irish problem. While welcoming the prospect of a potential second route into the European Cup, Michael Bradley points out the possible anomaly of Connacht finishing as one of the top three Irish provinces in the Celtic League but still being consigned to another Challenge Cup campaign if the fourth-ranked Irish province finished below the lowest-ranked Welsh or Scottish sides.

"In that scenario we wouldn't be judged on our own performances. Instead we would be reliant on the performances of others. We would like clarification on this point."

Last season Connacht started strongly in the Celtic League but, in part because of the distractions of their memorable run to a first ever Challenge Cup semi-final, and also because Welsh qualification was based entirely on Celtic League performances, the westerners ultimately fell away to finish ninth of 12 teams.

In the process, while finishing above all three Scottish districts, Connacht finished below the fifth-ranked Welsh side (Cardiff Blues) and by a sizeable 10 points at that. With the five Welsh composite outfits now trimmed down to four after the demise of the Celtic Warriors, Bradley contends the Welsh will be even more competitive this season.

"The Welsh and Scots will still be competing flat out for Heineken Cup qualification, and we found this ensured they remained highly competitive right up to the end of the season as they tried to outqualify each other," said Bradley, echoing the thoughts of all the Irish provincial coaches at the time.

The Welsh occupied five of the top six places. And this season, says Bradley, as a more streamlined quartet they will be stronger again, while Munster and Leinster will have more of their frontline players available to them, which should undoubtedly make them stronger too.

Furthermore, unlike last season, the other three Irish provinces will be trying to outdo each other for European Cup rankings, giving all their Celtic League matches more meaning.

Bradley believes that "overall our squad is stronger" after the close-season influx of Stephen Knoop, Paul Warwick and Peter Myborg from the Southern Hemisphere, although like captain Andrew Farley (entering his second season with the province) all are keen to qualify for Ireland by dint of the residency ruling.

Connacht have also shopped at home, and so that quartet are the only non-qualified players in a squad of 30.

But then again, so too will the competition be stronger, right across the board. On the face of it, with five of their opening nine matches away to Munster, Cardiff, Llanelli, Leinster and the Ospreys, there will be a big onus on Connacht to obtain good results in their initial four home games against Ulster and the three Scottish districts - beginning with Glasgow at the Sportsground this Saturday.

All Connacht's home matches have been pencilled in for the refurbished Galway venue, where relations between the Irish greyhound authority and the Connacht Branch are appreciably more constructive, according to chief executive Gerry Kelly. However, post-Christmas, this is subject to change and could see one or more games played under lights in Dubarry Park, Athlone.

By then Connacht will hope to have kept their other potential avenue into the European Cup alive by progressing through the opening two rounds of the Challenge Cup. For the fourth year running however, they will be pitted against Narbonne.

Three seasons ago, the sides traded home wins as both were eliminated at the pool stages. A year later in the second round, Connacht overcame a 42-27 deficit from the first leg to win the return 23-7 in Galway and progress by one point, and in last season's quarter-finals Connacht followed up a 27-18 win away in the first leg with a 16-10 win at home.

With this two-legged tie again looking very much a 50-50 affair, getting through four consecutive two-legged ties as well as winning a final looks as daunting a task as ever. However difficult, a Celtic League route by dint of finishing above the fourth-ranked Welsh side and third-ranked Scottish district and then negotiating a one-off match in Italy looks the better bet.

Of late though, nothing has ever come easy for Connacht.