Connacht coach Pat Lam will know on Monday the seriousness of injuries to four key players ahead of Ulster's visit to the Sportsground on Friday.
Having lost the quartet of Denis Buckley, Eoin McKeon, and Ireland internationals Matt Healy and Kieran Marmion in their victory over Edinburgh, it looks likely to have come at a high cost.
Lam has been sweating over the weekend on their availability for the first interprovincial Pro 12 this season, and says it will leave a big dent in Connacht’s depth.
Prolific try scorer Matt Healy was replaced in the third minute with a suspected hand injury, while fellow international Kieran Marmion sat out the second half with his ankle heavily iced. McKeon, who played an influential role in Friday’s 28-15 win over the Scottish side, and prop Denis Buckley, were also forced off in the last quarter with possible head and leg injuries.
"The game against Ulster will be massive," says Lam. "We know the strength of Ulster's squad - they can replace internationals with internationals. That is my big concern, the niggles and injuries we have, so it will be a long 24 hours because we could take a big dent in our depth.
"You look at Rory Best playing his first game, they [ULSTER]have that luxury. They have Tommy Bowe getting ready, but they still have Trimble, Gilroy, and Piutau - full of internationals - so we understand what is coming.
“It is the one team we haven’t beaten since I have been here, and every time, besides two blow-outs, it has always been close and it’s been key moments. Last year we didn’t take key opportunities, so our focus has to be on us getting our jobs right again because we are under no illusion what is coming.”
However Lam will take heart from Connacht’s improvement in their four-try win over Edinburgh, which ended a miserable start to their defence of the Pro 12 title.
“We were massively better. We have stepped up another level. The energy and work off the ball was up another level, closer to standards we set, and if we do that, we have a chance. We are not getting carried away. It is one win. We’ve played four and there are 18 to go. I am more focused on performance.”
Connacht produced a display against Edinburgh more akin to last season’s title- winning form, and Lam says their principles have never changed.
“The principles for us is the process of what we do during he week. My job is to keep everyone calm when everyone outside our environment is going crazy. The reason we have built the process from my first year is for times like this.
"We have been in this situation before, and the guy I take my hat off to - there's two of them- Bundee Aki, and John Muldoon. I have seen the way John Muldoon has been every time we have come off the field. He and Bundee were the ones encouraging the guys.
“We know the cards we were dealt at the beginning, but I have a lot of belief in these guys. Instead of worrying about where we are in the table, it’s all about the performance. If we get that right, the rest will come.”
