Connacht Rugby

is heading into a tough Heineken Cup week after coach Pat Lam has branded its collapse to Edinburgh on Friday evening as an “embarrassment”.

“Everyone has to apologise to our Connacht fans because that is not what we are about, ” he says.” We have not been like that all year and we just have to respond now. “There is disappointment and then there is embarrassment,” he said of Connacht’s dismal 43-10 defeat to Edinburgh – their worst performance of the season. We should have been well clear at half time; the embarrassing part is the last 10 minutes when heads went down and there were soft tries [conceded].

“A lot was said in the dressing room – not by myself – but from some key players who have been here for a while and strong messages were said. But no matter what we say, it all has to come down to performance – we can train well, have all the game plans, but sport is about fronting up on the day and we didn’t.”

The manner of the defeat – three tries conceded in the final eight minutes — also took the former Auckland Blues coach by surprise.

Now, he says, Connacht have a tough battle on their hands to prepare for back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures with Toulouse.