Carty is eager to put best foot forward against Glasgow Warriors
AFTER a pre-season that has generated no small measure of expectation, Connacht duo Jack Carty and Tom Farrell said they are both looking forward to their Guinness Pro14 opener against Glasgow Warriors at the Sportsground on Saturday (3pm).
The contest pits 2016 champions Connacht against 2015 victors Glasgow and, as games go, it has the capacity to kick off the season in spectacular fashion, especially if Connacht can translate the flair of their pre-season wins over Brive, Wasps and Bristol to this weekend’s fixture.
For homegrown out-half Jack Carty, he said he can’t believe how much the club has grown since he first arrived in the Academy. “It has just been a really enjoyable time. I have seen the place grow from what it has been to where it is now today and it is just really exciting to see where the club is going to.
“Obviously, Andy (Friend, new Head Coach) has come in and he has really put everything together. We talk about the small details in our game and hopefully we can see that coming on the pitch at the weekend.”
Given Connacht won the then Pro12 under Pat Lam in 2016, people will always look to draw comparisons with every head coach that follows but Carty highlights the new man in is very much his own person, particularly when it comes to backing the players to make the right call and do the right thing.
Of course, Friend is not the only new face at the Sportsground this season with a number of players also joining the set-up. These have included David Horwitz, an out-half that will no doubt be challenging Carty for the No. 10 shirt. Carty, though, was taking it all in his stride.
“He (Horwitz) is actually living with me at the moment so it is pretty good to get to know Dave. I think it is really important. Obviously, when you see a new signing coming in the same position as you, initially it can be quite daunting but for you to grow as a player I think it is very important to have fellows around like Craig (Ronaldson) and Kieran Joyce in the Academy who has signed there as well.
“So, I think, for a player to grow, it is very important to have quality players around you and that is what we have. So, we will all be striving to be getting better and better every day,” affirmed the Roscommon native.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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