Connacht’s disjointed show spells end of Euro Cup hopes

Connacht 28

Gloucester 33

THE message is muddled at the moment. On the face of it, Connacht lost a rugby game on Saturday and exited a European competition at the quarter final stage. They lost to a good side from England that had more power, guile and accuracy when the game was in the balance and they could have few quibbles with the idea that Gloucester are simply a better team. However that is only scratching the surface of this story.

Head coach Kieran Keane felt far from despondent after the game and listed character, effort, teamwork and their ability to problem solve as key reasons for his positive mood. He spoke of it having been a great occasion, he highlighted his team’s naivety at key moments but stressed that he looks at a performance like this and feels as though he has something to work with for the future. His message to the fans was for them to “hang in there, it is going to happen, stay the course”.

The striking post game media huddle only served to underline how confused the Connacht project is right now. The PRO14 campaign has seen a major regression, just six wins from 18 outings. Europe offered hope but a pool with three struggling opponents proved far too easy and created a false impression that Connacht were contenders. Shipping four tries to a slightly above average Premiership side at home would confirm that they are not.

The face of this team always seems to be the coach, from Warren Gatland to Michael Bradley and from Eric Elwood to Kieran Keane with one Pat Lam in between. No one can say for sure that the ship can’t be righted in the next 12 months and it is quite possible that the highly regarded New Zealander is, right now, half way through a rejuvenation project that will bring long-lasting consistency to the team.

He seems to believe he has what it takes. Yet when he arrived in the summer of last year having left his long standing and successful assistant position with the Chiefs (the Hamilton based Super Rugby franchise) to take up his first ever elite level head coaching slot in the West of Ireland, there was no message of rejuvenation or rebuilding from the top table at the media conference that include Keane and his new boss Willie Ruane.

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