Connacht are coming good at the right time
Date Published: {J}
THE irony of it all can’t be lost on Michael Bradley. Seven seasons he has been at the Sportsground and now when the former Irish international scrum half is about to leave Connacht, the team is playing the best rugby of his protracted tenure. The Cork native would be entitled to a wry smile in the circumstances, but he must also take immense satisfaction from the squad’s progression over the past couple of months in particular.
Bradley has been a loyal and dedicated servant to Connacht rugby and though his tactics and team selections occasionally came under scrutiny, he had immersed himself in developing a potent rugby force out West and given the province’s recent rollicking displays, he could be set to depart on an incredible high. Suddenly, previously elusive qualification for the Heineken Cup is no longer a pipedream.
Sure, they are still propping up the Magners League table, but the gap between Connacht and the other teams is now nearly as yawning as in previous seasons. They are now only four points behind struggling Ulster with four rounds of the competition remaining and have far more momentum than their counterparts up North. John Muldoon and company still have work to do, but the chance is there.
Connacht, of course, can also secure qualification for the Heineken Cup through the European route. This Saturday at the Sportsground, they take on Bourgoin in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final and should Bradley and his already appointed successor, Eriu Elwood, manage to guide them to victory, they will also have the considerable advantage of a home semi-final draw. Naturally, it’s a big ask for Connacht to go all the way, but their current body language and performances suggests that they are afraid of nothing these days.
Having beaten Leinster everywhere bar on the scoreboard at the RDS the previous weekend, it was heartening to see Connacht edge another tight encounter against title-chasing Edinburgh at the Sportsground on Friday night. Initially, it appeared that the men in green had the capacity to rout the Scots when they stormed into a thoroughly deserved 11-0 lead after just 13 minutes. Ian Keatley landed a penalty and also converted a well executed try from Brian Tuohy.
Though still controlling possession, Connacht were unable to add to their early haul before being caught napping for two Edinburgh tries from Tim Visser and hooker Andrew Kelly, both of which were converted by Phil Goodman. Trailing by 11-14 at the break, Connacht were entitled to feel sorry for themselves, but the regained the initiative in the third quarter thanks largely to a Keatley intercept try. With 54 minutes gone on the clock, they had fought back to lead 19-14 only to again fall behind. This time Roddy Grant’s converted try did the damage.
In the past, Connacht would not have either the belief or the capacity to pull the game out of the fire in similar circumstances, but they weren’t found wanting on Friday night and replacement out half Miah Nikora emerged as the hero of the hour with a thumping penalty from just outside the Edinburgh 10-metre line. The result extended Connacht’s unbeaten run on College Road to six matches and must leave them in perfect heart to face up to their French visitors on Saturday, despite the ungodly starting time of 1pm.
Bourgoin, however, still present a formidable challenge for Connacht to overcome. Remember, they only lost out to Northampton in last year’s showdown having achieved a tremendous away victory (32-30) over London Irish in the semi-final. Now freed from relegation worries in their own Top 14 domestic league, Bourgoin will not be lacking intent and possess a quality out half in Benjamin Boyet. They are a big strong physical outfit and certainly won’t fear their hosts.
The indications are that Saturday’s semi-final will be a sell out – that’s the least Connacht deserve – and the manner in which Fionn Carr and his team-mates have been upping the ante in recent matches, they are well capable of qualifying for the province’s first European semi-final since 2004. Though Elwood and the squad have only been awarded one-year rolling contracts amid further IRFU murmurings about cost-cutting, they have the high morale ground at present and, hopefully, that state of affairs will continue for what yet could yet prove a landmark season for rugby in the West.
For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.