We must replace Cup says Connacht coach

CONNACHT Academy coach Mossy Lawler has called on the Irish Rugby Football Union and other governing bodies to bring in a replacement for the British & Irish Cup for next season.

Since the Cup’s inception in 2009, the four Irish provinces have used the cross-border tournament as a useful tool to blood young development players as well as a chance for injury-returnees to get back to full fitness in their ‘A’-sides.

For the last three seasons the four Welsh regional sides have used it in a similar fashion with their ‘Premiership Select’ teams.

But with RFU professional rugby director Nigel Melville saying in November that it’s not working and that they are looking at a different type of domestic cup for the 12 Championship sides to compete in, the Irish and Welsh teams have been left in a quandary.

Lawler, 38, one of the province’s elite player development officers has coached Connacht Eagles in the competition for three years and believes it is a shame to lose an event which gives players a chance to face sides they otherwise wouldn’t play against.

He told “From a development point of view we will have to have something, maybe an A league or A cup.

“We use the Eagles as a development tool so there are a lot of young kids out there, and many 18-year-olds get their first cap.

“We blood these kids, throw them in and see if they can survive against a good Championship team and it helps us find out if they can make it or not.

“Whatever happens we can’t afford to lose these A fixtures so we will definitely be looking to replace it with something.”

Irish sides have won the cup four times, the same as their English rivals.