Friend: We’ll attack with a good defence
‘We are going there to do a job, and that’s win the game’
CONNACHT coach Andy Friend believes that his side can win in Edinburgh this evening if their defence steps up to the mark. The westerners return, for the first time, to the scene of their 2016 PRO12 triumph in Murrayfield looking for their second win of the campaign.
They are boosted by the return of Ireland international scrumhalf Kieran Marmion to the starting 15 for the first time this season, and with Bundee Aki back among the replacements, Connacht are hoping to build on their 32-13 bonus-point win over Zebre at the Sportsground last weekend. Aside from that unforgettable 20-10 PRO12 final win over Leinster, Connacht have enjoyed a good record in Edinburgh, winning on four of their last five visits, including the last three. and Ulster.Friend has made four
changes as he prepares to deal with a possible backlash from an Edinburgh team pipped in their opening two games away to Ospreys
‘You watch the first 50 minutes of the Ulster game and they [Edinburgh] are a hell of a side aren’t they?’ said Friend.
‘They are going to be really upset with that. Back in front of their home crowd, they are going to do whatever they can to kickstart their season. ‘We know we are going there to do a job and that’s to win the game. We will do everything we can to make sure we do that.
‘Little points in these games are big. The kicking accuracy can often determine games there. To me it’s our defence. ‘These big games and championships are won on defence. If you stand up and you make your tackles and you deny opposition time and space, they then give you the ball. From an attacking point, I know that if you give us the ball we have got some quality, that will hurt you.
‘But if we leak early like we did against Glasgow you start to chase a game and it becomes difficult from there.’
There are two changes up front where Conan O’Donnell starts at loosehead prop and Ultan Dillane begins in the second row.
The other changes come in the backline. Marmion is at scrumhalf and Niyi Adeolokun bolsters a dangerous-looking back three on the right wing.
‘We have got some great players there in the back three. Tiernan [O’Halloran] has got enormous experience, you have got Mattie [Healy] who is fully experienced too, CK (Cian Kelleher) is playing well, we are blessed to have Niysi (Adeolokun) sitting there too, and we haven’t talked about Darragh Leader and Rory Scholes,’ said Friend.
‘We have got some good quality there. We had some genuinely difficult selection decisions to make heading into this one.’
A lot has changed in Connacht in the two years since they won the PRO12 title at Murrayfield, with 10 of the 23 involved that day no longer with the province.
There has been an almost complete change in the coaching team. Only forwards coach Jimmy Duffy remains from the ticket that was headed up by Pat Lam as they return to Murrayfield this evening for the first time since that unforgettable day on May 28 two years ago.
Skills coach Dave Ellis and backs coach Andre Bell returned to the southern hemisphere, while assistant attack coach Conor McPhillips and fitness chief Paul Bunce followed Lam to Bristol.
Only eight players who will feature this evening against Edinburgh were also in the 23 for that 20-10 win over Leinster.
The summer after that trophy win saw the losses of Robbie Henshaw to Leinster, out-half AJ MacGinty to Sale Sharks and lock Aly Muldowney to Grenoble, which tore a huge chunk out of the side.
Muldowney has now linked up with Lam in Bristol and so too has flanker Jake Heenan.
John Cooney has hit the form of his life since moving to Ulster over a year ago where he joined up with prop Rodney Ah You.
Another prop Ronan Loughney retired a year ago, while Andrew Browne, JP Cooney and Shane O’Leary are no longer involved.
Now new coach Andy Friend is now hoping his first competitive away match will kick-start a new era for Connacht.