Connacht are in familiar territory as the outsiders of the Guinness Pro12's four play-off contenders in preparing to host the holders Glasgow at a heaving Sportsground in Saturday evening's historic semi-final, but the final table underlines that the quartet have never been more evenly matched.
Only four points separated the four of them after 22 games, which maintains a growing trend since the advent of the play-offs. In previous seasons, the gap between first and fourth had been six, eight, 17, 16 and 20 points, and Pat Lam believes his 11/2 shots are viable contenders to lift their first major trophy.
“It is (wide open) and the fact we’re there is pretty pleasing, because we were miles away,” said Lam, in reference to them never having finished higher than seventh previously. The season, he says, effectively starts again. “This is where we are now, once we qualified for the top four we’d a one-in-four chance – one-off games. This is also educational; playing quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals; for guys who, if they kick on, to go and play World Cups.
Great experience
“All of this is great experience, for guys to play in their first semi-finals at this level. The main thing for us is that, although the outcomes change, the process doesn’t.”
No one would dispute Lam’s assertion this is the biggest game in Connacht’s history.
“It’s definitely an inspiration but that’s where you define outcome and process. Outcome is over here, the biggest game, history, win and go to the final, all the fans, everything. That’s great, it’s all over here,” he said, his hands cupped to his right before he switches to his left.
“To perform over here [outcome], you go back to this [the process] and you get all this done. I’m not one to tell the boys to ignore everything, because that’s the worst thing you can do. Just acknowledge it, be aware of what it is, know where it sits. That’s over there.”
Off-field distractions are generally given short shrift by Lam, and so it was with regard to recent reports of gardaí being called to a stand-off outside a house in the Slí Burca estate in Galway on Tuesday of last week between locals and members of the squad.
These included the Pro12 Player of the Year Bundee Aki who, along with teammates, had traced a laptop belonging to Robbie Henshaw which had been stolen from his car.
“It’s good to see that the boys look out for each other on and off the field,” said Lam, before adding the rider: “It wasn’t a smart thing to do and the boys know that.” Asked if they had been disciplined, he said: “No, that’s probably all I have got to say on it really.”
Lam has identified Connacht’s need to sharpen their attacking game, which also lacked “hunger” the week previously against Treviso.
“If we can bring the hunger to the finesse of what we do and marry the both of them, we’ve got a great chance.”
Connacht have been given a timely boost by the return to full training and fitness of props Finaly Bealham, Rodney Ah You and Ronan Loughney, as well as long-term casualties Craig Ronaldson and Danie Poolman. But against that fellow prop Denis Buckley has joined Nathan White on the sidelines for the rest of the season after surgery on the ankle injury he sustained in the win over Glasgow two weeks ago.
Kieran Marmion did not train yesterday, although Connacht said there was no issue with their scrumhalf.
