Connacht host Glasgow Warriors on opening weekend of new rugby season

BY JOHN FALLON

Each campaign has thrown up its own idiosyncrasies since Connacht entered the realm of professional rugby a quarter of century ago, but it’s safe to say they have never embarked on a new campaign with such uncertainty surrounding the season.

In other years, the future of the team itself was the focus, but now the structure of the competitions they play in, some of it not related to Covid-19, is where the uncertainty lies.

The PRO14, with last season’s final staged two weeks ago, will begin with 12 teams in it but by the time it concludes it may have 16 sides competing!

The two South African teams which featured for the last three seasons are gone. The Southern Kings have gone into liquidation; while the Cheetahs from Bloemfontein have been removed by the South Africa Rugby Union who this week paved the way for the Bulls from Pretoria, the Lions from Johannesburg, Durban’s Sharks and the Stormers from Cape Town to join a competition which started out two decades ago as the Celtic League.

The ‘Big Four’ from South Africa may join the PRO12/14/16 as early as next March, presuming Covid-19 restrictions allow it and the inevitable legal wrangling in South Africa — the Cheetahs, unsurprisingly, are heading for the lawyers’ office – is sorted out.

So, given that the competition begins with a dozen teams and a few more may join, the organisers have just made fixtures to cover the next few months. It doesn’t look very professional, does it?

“What I’m pleased with is that we’ve finally got 11 games we know we’ve got. We can plan for 11 games of football. What happens beyond that is anyone’s guess,” said Connacht Andy Friend.

He’s travelled the world coaching more than any other Connacht coach, and the past six months has forced him, like everyone in charge of a team, to make it up as he goes along.

“What we’ve become really good at, mate, is being really flexible. I’ve lost ‘expectation’ out of my vocab and I don’t really expect anything now. I’ve replaced it with adaptability and being flexible,” added the Australian.

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

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