Gilbert relishing crack at Saracens as Connacht return to top table
Out-half’s flawless kicking last season a major reason why Connacht qualified for Champions Cup
Connacht Rugby full-back Sam Gilbert is looking forward to his first taste of Investec Champions Cup rugby after a hectic first year in Galway when the men from the west welcome Saracens tomorrow to College Road tomorrow.
The 27-years-old only arrived at the Dexcom Stadium from New Zealand last November, and it's been a whirlwind for the former Highlanders player.
His accuracy off the tee — notching 30 kicks in a row at one stage — was one of the key reasons Stuart Lancaster’s men nailed a spot in the Champions Cup by winning eight of their last URC games.
“Yeah, it will be great to play in the Champions Cup. There should be a good buzz on Saturday night, it'll be a big crowd,” said Gilbert.
“I think we've all seen the difference the crowd can make here in this new stand. Get this place rocking, so that'll hopefully be cool to see Saturday afternoon.”
Saracens have won all three previous meetings between the sides, the most recent being 55-36 at the StoneX Stadium in north London three years ago.
Their only meeting in Galway was in the Champions Cup in 2013 at the Sportsground when a couple of penalties from Owen Farrell saw Saracens win 23-17; but they then dished out a 64-6 drubbing to Connacht in the return game the following January.
Saracens have won two of their opening three games in the Premiership in England, but while Gilbert said it’s a new competition and a team they have not faced for some time, they will have their homework done.
“There's a lot of analysis that goes on behind the boards before we see any of it,” added Gilbert.
“There's lots of stats, we've got a great analysis team that clip everything up, and it's all packaged-up for us, so pretty much anything you want, you can get your hands on pretty quickly.
“But in this day and age, everything's filmed from five different angles, so you can cover things pretty well.”
The arrival of Ciarán Frawley and others during the summer has beefed up Connacht’s options at the back, with Josh Ioane starting at full-back last weekend against Glasgow, and Frawley at out-half.
That should mean a less hectic schedule for Gilbert this season, but at the same time he wants to be out there every time.
“I guess as a rugby player, you want to play every week. I think from a body standpoint, we've got some really good guys fit at the moment, so it's about using the squad really well. Guys are playing really good rugby, so I guess everyone's fighting for spots, and you've got to earn your spot on the team,” he added.