Internationals return for Connacht’s critical home league tie against the Dragons

THE banter up at the Sportsground all week centred on the return of Connacht’s four Ireland players from international duty.

When Tiernan O’Halloran, Findlay Bealham, Kieran Marmion and Ultan Dillane came back from Six Nations’ action, they faced ribbing from their colleagues.

“There’re a lot of lads giving them a bit of stick that they get everything easy with Ireland and they come back to us and they have to work all that harder,” joked Connacht backs coach, Conor McPhillips.

Slagging aside, Joe Schmidt’s release of the Connacht quartet – freeing them to play against Newport Gwent Dragons at College Road on Saturday (7.35pm) – is a big boost to morale.

“I think, obviously, they want to play for Ireland, but these guys, when they come back, they add a buzz, because they’ve been in a real high class environment. They are hungry to perform for Connacht because they know that if they perform for Connacht they give themselves every chance to perform for Ireland,” said McPhillips.

Craig Ronaldson agreed. “It lifts the mood around the camp. Those guys are coming on the back of a good win at the weekend (against Italy) and it’s just exciting. Guys are looking forward to getting out and training against them. They obviously bring back a bit of confidence, they look to push us as well, so it’s only ever a good thing when the lads are back in camp,” said the centre.

Confidence isn’t something Connacht are short on now, having beaten what both McPhillips and Ronaldson described as the province’s “bogey team” on Sunday.

The win, secured with a late drop-goal from O’Halloran and penalty kick from Ronaldson on the stroke of full-time, was Connacht’s first in Cardiff since 2013. The 13-19 result gave the Westerners a first ever home and away double against the Blues; and it was their first win on an artificial pitch in their seventh time playing on 4G.

All that didn’t seem likely 30 minutes in when Connacht trailed by 13-0, but that’s what made the outcome even more satisfying.

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