Risk-takers Connacht reaping rewards of adventurous style

Connacht 46

Ospreys 18

THE numbers are ridiculous. The storm enveloped Sportsground on Friday night suggested we would be watching a game ultimately decided by kicks, scrums, mauls and lineouts, but instead we were treated to a contest where Connacht broke their season record for metres made with ball in hand, scored seven tries to their opponents two and wowed the home crowd with a night of scintillating rugby.

Six games into this season and Connacht have come with something very new. It hasn’t always worked, they underperformed in Cardiff and completely flopped at home to the Dragons. it hasn’t always been about exciting attacking play either, as they were pragmatic and stubborn in almost beating Munster in Thomond, but when it has come together, it has been spectacular.

In round two after the superb home victory over the Bulls, the Connacht team and management told us that this was the template. They lost their way a little but found it again in round five at the end of October when they produced that stunning all conquering performance against Ulster in the Aviva Stadium and at that juncture, the talk was of consistency and replicating this style. On Friday night in Galway, they ticked that box as well.

They have branded their new approach and repeated it over and over in public utterances almost in the hope of it becoming a self fulfilling prophecy. ‘Fast, relentless and adaptable.’ You see that’s the thing about catchy slogans and branding. If there’s substance behind it, the cheesy element almost makes it more compelling. And Friday’s performance in the wind, the rain and the cold was captivating from start to finish.

It wasn’t perfect but Connacht weren’t promising that. Mistakes are going to increase in the risk-taking environment they are in and they coughed up a couple of tries here that they probably wouldn’t have been happy with in past seasons, but probably won’t even think about now. Make no mistake, the Ospreys are good and were always going to have their moments. Yes they were without one or two stars, but they are a top side in this league and had won here with a similar squad in January.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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