BENCH STRENGTH IS KEY FOR CONNACHT
IT’S not often over the years you could say Connacht have a bench to change the game but that is the case at the Sportsground for today’s Challenge Cup meeting with Sale. The nature of the beast out west is for flotsam-jetsam squads cobbled together in the most practical way possible but Connacht are developing genuine depth under Andy Friend and he is spreading it around intelligently to negotiate a first win for the province over their in-form English opponents. It means, while Connacht are able to name their 2016 Pro12winning back three and front row units as well as proven quality in the form of Bundee Aki, Jack Carty, Ultan Dillane and captain Jarrad Butler, Friend is able to keep some real impact on ice for second-half impact. The tactic is clear, stay with Sale for the first 50 to 60 minutes and then unleash the likes of Shane Delahunt, Quinn Roux, Colby Fainga’a and Caolin Blade to see them home in front of a re-energised Sportsground. It is a sensible ploy by the Connacht coach because Sale go into this match on a high following superb wins over Bristol, Gloucester and Saracens in the English Premiership. They hammered Connacht in their earlier meetings and bring a side packed with potency to Galway, notably in an electric backline featuring the dazzling footwork of Chris Ashton, Denny Solomona and James O’Connor. The return of the Du Preez brothers, Rob and Jean-Luc, to South Africa after their short-term deals will hurt Sale but they still have countrymen Faf du Klerk — the form scrum-half in the game — and Scotland backrow Josh Strauss. There is a bullishness about Sale this season, typified by their fiery boss Steve Diamond (who recently grabbed the headlines for challenging a journalist to ‘go outside’) and it has propelled them up to fifth in the English table. If Connacht fail to fire, this game could get away from them very quickly — something Friend is
acutely aware of. ‘Sale are a really good side and we saw the quality they have earlier in the season,’ says Friend. ‘But we have improved since then.’ They have indeed and it took an excellent Munster display to see them off last weekend. While you get the sense the Pro14 is Connacht’s priority, there is a risk of their season losing momentum if they lapse this afternoon. Their bench, and collective desire to keep the buzz under Friend going, can prevent that from happening.