Struggling Connacht facing daunting league task against high-flying Leinster

THE wheel keeps turning. Connacht are back in action on Saturday night at the RDS as they take on Leinster in the PRO14 (7:35). They haven’t beaten the men in blue in Dublin since 2002 and the odds are once again stacked against them after a home loss to Ulster last weekend.

The management certainly tried to put a brave face on things this week and Head Coach Andy Friend reflected on the team’s recent defeats.

“We were under no illusions that the last few matches were going to be tough. Against Racing we put ourselves in a great position and didn’t finish it. We were all disappointed with Bristol and again last weekend but that’s sport, you want to win them all but you can’t. We’ve got a number of players coming available again and that’s probably a difference from last year because we didn’t have that depth of quality,” noted Friend.

Accepting the negative momentum as a reality isn’t going to halt the slide, but overall the numbers don’t really matter. Ulster kicked six penalties, scored two second half tries and barely gave Connacht a chance of scoring after half time bar that one Tom Daly try. Connacht were favourites coming in to Saturday and left the field well beaten.

That’s not good preparation for any away inter-provincial, let alone one against the all powerful Leinster side that will stand in front of them on Saturday. No matter who Leo Cullen selects from his squad –  one that has been hit by Covid cases this week with two players out and a number of close contacts also ruled out as of Tuesday – he will be able to name a side that will take to the field as raging out favourites against a depleted Connacht.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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