Cup dream over as Connacht suffer mauling from the Bears

Connacht 18

Bristol 27

Rob Murphy at the Sportsground

ANY review of Sunday evening’s Champions Cup game at the Sportsground must take time to consider the Pat Lam factor, his Bristol side’s powerful pack and their all too familiar commitment to a wild and high risk attacking strategy but before we get to that, let’s put the focus on a Connacht side who were soundly beaten and saw their quarter final hopes firmly ended.

This was a big night for Andy Friend’s men. All week they downplayed the significance of Lam’s return to Galway. It was just another high quality Champions Cup fixture they said, getting caught up in the side stories would cost them. That was logical and no doubt they didn’t get distracted in the end but they can’t avoid the reality that, to the outside rugby world at least, this was not a good look.

Here was their old coach, back in town. The godfather figure of Connacht rugby, the man who arrived in the west of Ireland with his bright new ideas six years ago and delivered the unthinkable, a trophy after an unforgettable final in Edinburgh and a homecoming that brought a large chunk of the province to the streets of Galway.

This was a day to look sharp. No one is suggesting that Connacht haven’t moved on from those days, or at least built on that legacy – they have. They’ve reached the Champions Cup twice since and they’ve secured planning for a new stadium and continue to produce players for the international squad, yet still though. They wanted to show their best side for this one.

Again, leave aside the Pat Lam factor for a moment, this was Connacht up against a typical big spending English Premiership side. Their powerful packs seem to always cause Connacht trouble. In ten seasons of European action now, Connacht have won six and lost 19 of their 25 fixtures against English opponents. Their wins have all been at home, mostly been by a hair’s breadth and against the run of play.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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