Connacht's resources stretched to the limit for visit of in-form Munster
IT may be the clash of the reigning Pro12 champions against the current league leaders when Connacht host Munster at the Sportsground (5:30pm) on New Year’s Eve but, as it stands, the home side’s match-day squad will cut a pale shadow of that which claimed the Pro12 trophy back in May.
Already in the throes of an injury crisis, Connacht’s plight has deepened further following injuries to influential quartet Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, John Muldoon and Danie Poolman in their 23-7 defeat to Ulster last Friday.
The latest injuries swell Connacht’s casualty list up to an astonishing 22 and, not surprisingly, has left them scrambling to secure cover for a number of positions ahead of their clash against Munster.
Bealham and Poolman (both head injuries), along with Dillane (ankle) and Muldoon (thigh), are being closely monitored this week and Lam had not given up hope that some of these players would play some part on Saturday.
Of Connacht’s 22 players receiving treatment, there are a number due back in training this week but Saturday’s fixture may just come too soon for them. These include Jake Heenan, Eoghan Masterson, Shane O’Leary, Peter Robb, Stacey Ili, Cian Kelleher and Josh Rowland.
Unfortunately, it will be well into the New Year before the likes of props Ronan Loughney (knee) and Conor Carey (foot), lock Andrew Browne (ankle), out-half Marnitz Boshoff (shoulder), centres Craig Ronaldson (thigh), Bundee Aki (ankle) and Eoin Griffin (chest muscle) and versatile back Darragh Leader (hand) will see action.
While a Champions Cup victory over Wasps a fortnight ago seemed to suggest that Connacht might finally have broken the back of their current crisis, the loss, in particular, of Aki to an ankle injury that required surgery last week was notably telling against Ulster.
It meant Lam was forced to juggle his resources once again, with Danie Poolman having to play at inside centre for the first time and, when he got injured, full-back Tiernan O’Halloran subsequently being deployed in that role – also for the first time.
Although Lam commended both on the job they did, he admitted Connacht had struggled without their first choice centres against Ulster. “There is no doubt if Bundee Aki was playing at 13 and Craig Ronaldson at 12 – and this is nothing against Danie or Rory (Parata) – they are learning as they go along – the tries Ulster got would never have been scored. It changes the whole game,” he stated.
In addition to defence, Lam said they also lost something going forward but, again, he said the challenge in filling these positions was akin to asking someone on the street to do a job that they had never done before.
Full coverage in this week's Connacht Tribune