Does Connacht rugby merit an hour-long documentary? It is possible that it does and that there is a fascinating tale to tell about the least successful of Ireland’s four oval-ball franchises. But that story eludes Relentless: The Connacht Way (RTÉ One, Thursday, 10.15pm), a watchable and well-put-together film that ultimately feels like an extended promo reel for the team.
One issue lies with the title. How or why is Connacht rugby relentless? They weren’t very relentless when dumped out of the European Cup by Leinster in April – the mauling that functions as the emotional culmination of the episode. Nor does the documentary get anywhere with its idea that coming from the west makes you a natural underdog.
Bundee Aki is Zen-like off the pitch, a demon on it. And he has known difficulties in his life. You want to know more – yet the film doesn’t dig any deeper. There is a sense of a fascinating life left unexplored
“To live in the west of Ireland you’ve got to be relentless. Life’s not easy. Sports’s not easy. Think back to the first founders here: you would have had to be pretty tough,” says one member of the backroom staff.
The monologue is accompanied by footage of such Connacht peculiarities as rain and high winds. But Galway, where the side is based, does not see itself in those terms at all. It is happy instead to be celebrated as Ireland’s bohemian epicentre – the country’s capital of chill. Not relentless in the least, you might say.
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Three players are singled out: the New Zealand-born Ireland international Bundee Aki, the Roscommon newcomer Niall Murray and the injury-plagued Tom Farrell. Of the three, Aki is the natural star, an enigma who visibly contains multitudes.
He is Zen-like off the pitch, a demon on it. And he has known difficulties in his life. “The road was never easy,” he says. “Whatever opportunities I had, I had to take with both hands.” You want to know more – yet the film doesn’t dig any deeper. There is a sense of a fascinating life left unexplored.
Relentless is incurious about the culture of Connacht rugby supporters. Rugby in Ireland has elsewhere led to the stereotype of the rugby dad. But what are Connacht rugby fans like? A bit posh, as is the caricature of the Leinster fan base? More salt of the earth, in line with the flattering self-portrait cooked up by Munster supporters (and often untrue – look at how private schools have historically dominated underage rugby in Munster)?
That question is never answered. Nor is there any broaching of the debate about concussion and the potential long-term harm to players. Relentless depicts Connacht as a team of gutsy strivers – but that sketch is never properly filled out. The result is a ruck‘n’roll hagiography that preaches to the converted.
