FRIEND WITH BENEFIT
With morale high and the team in form, Andy is Connacht’s...
WHEN Pat Lam announced he was leaving for Bristol, the process of hiring a new head coach began and Connacht identified Kieran Keane as the best man to take over.
On reflection, the recruitment process was not what it should have been with Keane interviewed remotely by Skype — Connacht will not be making that mistake again.
His CV was impressive but when the surly Kiwi arrived in person, it became quickly apparent he was the wrong fit, making little effort to embrace the culture of the province or inspire the players the way Lam had done so brilliantly.
There is a story about a senior Connacht player offering a cheerful greeting to Keane several weeks after the coach’s arrival, only to be met by silence and a blank stare from a man who clearly had no idea who was addressing him.
‘A very difficult guy,’ is how one Connacht insider describes Keane — there were descriptions elsewhere too unsavoury for polite consumption.
However, the upshot was, once Keane was ushered out, Connacht had to get their next appointment spot-on and it is understood IRFU elite performance director David Nucifora weighed in heavily on the process. As he is believed to have done with Dan McFarland up in Ulster and that is how it should be.
The successful Irish rugby model needs to operate from the top down and getting troublesome duds like Keane, former Leinster coach Matt O’Connor or exUlster coach Mark Anscombe helps nobody.
And, the early signs are that Connacht have a gem in Andy Friend (right). The word out west is that the players and backroom staff love what he is doing so far and, while not trying to be a Lam impersonator, Friend has tapped into the same sense of openness and community-enveloping appreciation that made his Pro12-winning predecessor such a hit. With a happy environment restored off the pitch, it is translating into encouraging performances on it. Which is why Connacht are relishing the visit of Leinster this evening. The Sportsground will be heaving, an extended capacity of 8,100 — the vast majority of them Connacht supporters — ready to roar on their team in pursuit of the notable scalp of the Pro14 and European champions. As well as a burning collective desire, there are individual motivations at play also, with a host of in-form Connacht men desperate to catch the eye of Ireland coach Joe Schmidt by gaining an edge over Leinster’s national team regulars. With Ireland’s World Cup plans well in motion in terms of squad selection, it will be extremely difficult to upset the pecking order but there are opportunities in November against Italy and the USA for fringe players and a list of Connacht men desperate to audition on that stage.
The most interesting, and topical, of this group is out-half Jack Carty. The Athlone man has not featured in the debate over who should back up Johnny Sexton up to now but has made a powerful start to the season, displaying an easy authority against Scarlets that Joey Carbery (frontrunner as Sexton’s understudy), could not replicate in Cardiff as he continues to find his feet with Munster.
Facing Sexton this evening is an excellent means of judging Carty’s credentials and he requires a powerful performance from his pack to get the ball he needs to impress because Leinster run out in Galway bristling with intent.
Their 47-10 humiliation at the same venue last April and the ‘Muldoongate’ controversy that went with it have heightened determination within the Pro14-European Cup champions to reassert their authority.
Insulting or not, Muldoon’s ceremonial conversion five months ago has created a spicy backdrop for a fixture they have lost far too often (six times over the last 10 years) for their liking.
They will not be short of the focus they lacked in April and have picked a team selection jammed with Ireland frontliners, including fit-again icon Sean O’Brien on the bench.
Their starting backrow is none too shabby either with Rhys Ruddock, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan all desperate to keep their names in the November, and World Cup, frame.
In that regard, it is surprising Friend did not start the in-form
Paul Boyle against them. The Wexford man plays with a simmering intensity derived from his failure to break through at Leinster but must make do with a replacement slot as Colby Fainga’a gets his first start in the back-row.
Connacht did all they could to get Jarrad Butler fit for the game but their captain was unable to overcome his shoulder problem in time with hooker Dave Heffernan, playing superbly this season, taking on the leadership duties.
Joe Tomane needs a big game at centre for Leinster. The 17-times capped Wallaby has not convinced since joining and with Rory O’Loughlin available in reserve, Tomane badly needs to justify his signing — opposite number Bundee Aki will offer few hiding places.
Mix it all together — two expansive teams, the grudge factor, the packed house, the Ireland auditions — and this could be the game of the season thus far.
Leo Cullen’s men have been motoring smoothly and though this will be a far more taxing affair than recent romps against Dragons and Edinburgh, they are Europe’s elite outfit and primed to buck the overwhelming trend of Pro14 sides struggling on the road.
However, regardless of how tooled up or motivated Leinster are, Connacht will not make it easy for them — the Friend factor ensures as much.