Steering rugbyÕs rising talent in the right direction

YOU have just got to hand it to Connacht Rugby. No matter how many knocks the provincial game has taken over the years, it has continually looked to bounce back and defy the odds . . . and yet another testament to the fine work being done at the West of Ireland branch was the U-20 inter-pro Grand Slam victory over Munster last week.

Any season you record away wins over Ulster and Leinster in Ravenhill and Donnybrook respectively – and scalp Munster in your final game to secure the Grand Slam crown – is as good as any. “It is a great accomplishment,” beamed Connacht coach and Renmore native Nigel Carolan, a man who has been to the forefront of developing the province’s young talent for almost a decade.

“Connacht had won it in 2001, but it was an U-21 tournament at the time. There was also a dispensation for Connacht at the time, in that they were allowed a certain amount of over-age players. So, this is the first time it has been a level playing field for us.”

In truth, though, Connacht were always likely to challenge strongly in this competition given the success of its U-18 sides in the various competitions in recent years. “We have had a good return at U-18 level, particularly on the club side of things, and we have also been knocking on the door at U-20 for the last couple of years.

“However, in the past, we were only able to pull off one-off wins [over the other provinces]. So, to put three wins together makes it a bit more special – and we did it the hard way. We did two of them away from home in Ravenhill and Donnybrook, while the third game was in Buccaneers [Dubarry Park], which, I suppose, could also be considered an away game. But it made it all the more special for us.” 

No doubt, there was some degree of pressure on Carolan’s outfit heading into that final game against Munster last Friday, a tie they won on the impressive scoreline of 32-18. To the fore was Leitrim native and Buccaneers full-back Shane Layden, who scored a hat-trick of tries.

The Galway influence, though, was vast, and among those to impress were Corinthians pair Kieran Marmion and Aaron Conneely; Galwegians’ trio Paul Griffin, Tadgh Leader and Eoin Tarmey; and Monivea’s Conor Kindregan. There was also a strong Buccaneers contingent in the squad, including the likes of Danny Qualter, Callum Boland, Conor Finn, Robbie Henshaw and, of course, Layden.

“Every year, there is a core group of players in the U-20s team which is as good as what is out there in the rest of the country, and that has been reflected in the number of guys who have been selected in the Irish U-20s over the last couple of years,” continued Academy Manager Carolan.

“This year, we had a better balance across the team and there were a lot of guys who hopefully, now, will be in the reckoning for the Irish U-20s. The other thing is they really gelled as a unit collectively, off the field as well as on the field. As a result, when they played, there was a certain amount of composure and confidence within the team and they always felt they were going to win.”

A brace of pre-season friendlies against the likes of Garryowen and Corinthians had highlighted these qualities at an early stage and with a plethora of the players already contracted to Connacht Academy, a certain amount of cohesion and professionalism was already permeating throughout the set-up.

“The new players coming through [the ranks at Connacht] are well looked after – there are a lot of resources put in – and we have good people working here in our branch and in the elite player pathway. A certain amount of confidence is instilled in the players so the players shouldn’t have an inferiority complex.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.