ItÕs all about the money Ð Elwood

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood burst into song on Monday.

Something along the lines of, “It’s all about the money; it’s all about the dum dum duh dee dum dum . . .”

Okay then he didn’t, but had he it wouldn’t have been too out of place.

At this week’s press briefing to preview the Harlequins Heineken Cup clash at the Sportsground on Saturday (1.30pm), Elwood was asked about the usual: injuries, the opposition, last week’s defeat to Treviso. So far, so good.

Then midway through came a question about his recruitment policy next season, a process that is already underway.

Would he be concentrating on bringing through more home-grown young players to the senior set-up; and then focus on buying a few quality ‘foreign’ players, rather than spreading resources to draft in greater numbers of imports that may not have the same skills set or influence as a few ‘big names’?

Elwood was calm at first. He said: “We always try to promote our indigenous local players, and if they’re good enough they get the opportunity, so if they were there we would pick them. We’ve young lads coming through who won the U20 this year but it’s all about timing: they’re not ready for it. They’re too young, not experienced and not developed physically and they have to bide their time.

“We’re looking now to assemble a squad again for next year. But, when you talk about bringing in that player and that player, there’s one word that everything revolves around: Money.

“We have a budget that I’m told I have to stay within so it’s not as easy as going out and getting a John Langford (retired Australian lock who signed for Munster in the 1990s) or someone else – it’s not as simple as that. We don’t have the luxury of a big cheque book, it’s not as easy as that.

“We’ve only got 29 full-time players, we lost four first-teamers last year, we’ve six guys injured. Bringing in quality is fine but the quality players can get injured as well, so what do you pick from then? It’s a fine balance. We don’t have enough money, we don’t have a big budget, and we don’t have a big squad. I don’t mean to be cheeky but that’s the bottom line. It’s a professional sport and it’s about money; money and recruitment.”

But would the financial windfall from the Heineken Cup not help? Visibly and audibly more frustrated, Elwood added: “You’re asking the wrong guy, lads. If you want to talk about money go in and talk with Gerry Kelly (Connacht CEO). It’s not my baby, I’ve to work within whatever budget I have. I push hard for whatever the team needs, and I’ll bang on tables and I’ll have my arguments with the IRFU, but at the end of the day if you want to talk about money, talk to Gerry Kelly or talk to the PGB (Professional Game Board).”

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