‘Competition will drive us forward’
James Cannon is on his third coach in three years with Connacht, but tells Daragh Small they are now developing a settled squad
JAMES CANNON turns 30 next Monday and he’s fast approaching the half-century mark for Connacht, having become a key player as he heads into his third season at the Sportsground. Pat Lam brought the rangy second row in from Wasps during the 2016
17 campaign when Connacht were decimated with injuries, and he has continually offered a dependable and experienced link for Lam, Kieran Keane and now Andy Friend.
Cannon has made a contribution in all three of Connacht’s Guinness
PRO14 games this season, and as Friend looks to build a successful platform in the league and Europe, he will use the Kettering native as a trusted lieutenant.
“Friendy has been over now for a couple of months. He has settled in and got to know the squad, and the squad have got to know him, which is good,” said Cannon.
“When a new coach comes in it resets a lot of things. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the squad at the minute to show him and everyone out there what we can do.
“I wouldn’t say our style is radically different. We are still trying to look to play heads up rugby and bring a tempo to the game. That hasn’t changed an awful lot from what we tried to do previously.
“But there are small little tweaks and ways that we are trying to achieve that, that have changed.
“The front five’s role is fairly the same no matter what system you play. You are there to provide a good platform to play off and try and disrupt the opposition as much as you can.
“You wouldn’t see the front five doing an awful lot different than they have been in the last few years.”
Cannon will look to keep it simple, do those simple things well, and achieve incremental goals along the way, but he knows the pressure will be piled on throughout 2018-19, with a raft of young and enthusiastic talent on their way up.
The former England U-20 Grand Slam winner, who started off his career at Northampton Saints, will have to stave off the competition from local lads like Cillian Gallagher and Peter Claffey.
Cannon knows they have bags of potential that has already been realised, while new recruit Joe Maksymiw is another familiar face after his recent arrival from Leicester Tigers.
“There is a lot of competition, but that is good as it brings out the best in everyone. It forces you to up your game. There is no chance that you can rest on your laurels as there is someone there who wants your spot,” said Cannon.
“That competition is something that is evident across the whole squad. We have had some younger players from the academy really step up to the plate during pre-season. They are really pushing for a spot and making sure the more senior players are earning them, or they will take their jersey.
“Cillian and Peter have certainly got great potential for the future, but they are also very good players now. They are chomping at everyone’s heels to play.
“There are a range of players coming through the academy that have been brought up in this area, or that have spent a lot of time with the region.
“That is good. It shows that the academy system is obviously working and producing players that are of a high enough standard to play for Connacht.
“Joe is a guy that I was aware of from my days playing over in England as well. He has come from a very structured and good academy system through Leicester.
“You can see his expertise around the set-piece and the tighter aspects of forward play are very good.
“He has brought a bit of knowledge and know-how, in that area, that he can pass on to other players in the squad.
“He can challenge people that have been in this squad for a few years. He can teach them a few new things and challenge the way they are doing things.
“We may have played against each other once or twice in second-team matches or domestic cup competitions in the past. And you never really see a weak Leicester front five.
“He was part of a group coming through at the time that played a very tough, hard-nosed forward game. It
We have had some younger players from the academy and they have really stepped up
was always a tough match. I am really excited to see what he can bring to the squad this year.”
And everyone in the Connacht squad knows that a repeat of last year’s performance and results on the field won’t cut it under new head coach Friend, after a couple of tough years since winning the PRO12 in 2016.
The early rounds of this campaign suggest all is well in Galway right now and the players have bought into the package that Friend and Co are selling.
With the added impetus from the likes of Robin Copeland and Kyle Godwin, Connacht have an incisive edge, but Cannon will be a fundamental part to the stability within the matchday 23.
After 41 appearances in green he knows that last season was a poor reflection of the province and something they cannot afford to happen again.
“It’s very difficult to put your finger on one thing that was wrong. Really there has to be a collective responsibility from the squad of players that we didn’t deliver,” said Cannon.
“We didn’t deliver the performances that we wanted to. We certainly didn’t deliver the results. We have got to the stage now with a new head coach and things, that we are very keen to let that be and leave that in the past and have more of a look into the future.
“Not to say that those kind of things can be brushed under the carpet. We have to take as many learnings as we can from that and put it to good use this year.
“We have to achieve better results than we did last year.”