Clueless Connacht ripped apart by rampant Ulster men

Ulster 58

Connacht 12

Reports on this game and their two previous outings would be the only essential reading material on a third level course focusing on Pat Lam’s first year in charge of the West of Ireland province. The study could be entitled: A rampaging win, a courageous fight back and an implosion. Connacht’s season summed up in three spring outings.

At times, Connacht understand their place in the pecking order, play accordingly and get rewarded for bravery, courageous and perseverance. This young Connacht side has spark, flair and talent, they aren’t there yet but in the right setting, with the correct amount of effort they can unlock international class defences and leave them floundering, but they have to earn that right.

Friday was a perfect example of what goes wrong when they try to put the shoulders back from the outset, when they try to skip ahead a few chapters in the belief that they are now a top table side, that they are the equals of an Ulster or a Munster. In reality, they’re not the colour of it.

The balance of self belief and fear is key as the side is an emerging unit, two seasons short of their very best. Patience and time will be needed, one good performance won’t springboard the next and they might need to go from free flowing rugby late on in west Wales to a tight conservative effort in Belfast in seven days out of deference to where they lie in the pecking order.

How Pat Lam addresses this problem will be interesting, pointing to resources is all well and good and he highlighted the internationals on the opposite side in the post match discussion, but it is high time that Connacht teams took to the field with an attitude that reflects the post game excuses.

They didn’t here, they played like a side intent on scoring lots of tries and enjoying their rugby, but the sport has no mercy on such an attitude and Ulster were happy to get their Heineken Cup blues out of the system and teach their western cousins a valuable lesson. Let’s hope someone took notes.