Challenge Cup Focus / Connacht: Keith Duggan on how Europe seems to bring out the best in Michael Bradley's charges

With October comes European rugby and a fresh chance for Connacht to create another strong impression in the continental theatre. The experiences of Michael Bradley's team in recent years have come to mirror those of Liverpool football club, whose uneven domestic form has somehow managed to translate into giant-killing successes abroad.

Tomorrow, Connacht begin another quest for the Challenge Cup after losing last year's two-leg semi-final against Sale. For the past two years, Connacht's confident progression to the knockout phases were something of a happy surprise and seemed like a perfect response to fears that the IRFU might cease funding the province.

This year, however, there is an expectation that Connacht will be in the running and that brings its own pressure.

"I would hope that is the case," says Paul Warwick, the team's outhalf.

"Its no secret that we feel we have been under performing in the Celtic League and that winning the Challenge Cup is an aim of ours. It hasn't gone to plan for us up to now yet - our levels of concentration weren't what they should have been and maybe the communication between the backs and forwards has taken a bit of time to get together.

"One from seven is not how we imagined the season starting out but at least the way we played against the Ospreys was something approaching our true form, however disappointing the result."

Ospreys late win through a bizarre, technical penalty given to them by referee Rob Dickson in the 82nd minute has come to symbolise the tough edge to Connacht's season.

As manager Tim Allnut says: "It was a strange feeling to walk off that field having lost a game that had been won bar the whistle."

Bradley and coaching assistant Eric Elwood emphasised the worth of the game afterwards. But as Warwick points out, "if we had converted all the points chances we created, then the referee's role would not have been part of the equation. Referees make questionable calls the whole time, it's part of the game."

The retirement of Elwood - "the voice of Connacht rugby" as Allnut terms him - has meant a more certain role for Warwick this year.

Since joining Connacht from Sydney side Manley, he had to compete for the slot the revered Galway man had held down since his teenage years and also operated at centre. They offered Connacht an excellent contrast, with the senior Elwood the cool, implacable, stay-at-home number 10 and Warwick, the understudy full of quicksilver dash and adventure.

"Having Eric to work with this year has been so beneficial," Warwick says.

"When I was competing for that spot, Eric obviously had certain attributes to his game that were probably not so prevalent in mine and he has been a great help. I suppose I came here having played a lot of sevens rugby and like a more open game and it's a matter of identifying right kicking options and when to run. And getting to know the wind at the Sportsground."

The transition has been rewarding for Elwood too, according to Allnut. But there have been moments during Connacht's bruising opening two months that the talismanic former number 10 has been practically playing the game from his seat on the bench.

In fact, when Warwick was injured a number of weeks ago, rumours circulated around Galway that Elwood was on the verge of being forced out of retirement.

"Having Brads and Elwood together is a fantastic partnership and I think it is clear that Eric is going to develop in the new role," Allnut predicts.

"But, I mean, he is still good enough to be out there playing and there are times when that competitive instinct kicks in."

Elwood's retirement has been the fundamental alteration to Connacht's overall look this season.

But the summer also saw them lose their battling hooker Bernard Jackman, who has returned to his native province Leinster, and the rangy number eight John

O'Sullivan, who had bloomed under Bradley's stewardship. Those departures meant Connacht lost three natural on-field leaders and once again highlighted the perpetual dilemma for the development province in that outstanding performers are likely to be tempted elsewhere.

The fact that Connacht's bid to attract native sons like Gavin Duffy back to the west went largely unfulfilled also leaves the club open to the perception that his year's roster lacks the edge of the previous seasons.

"There is no point denying that some guys don't want to come to Connacht to play their rugby," acknowledges Warwick.

"And I think some of that is down to a traditional kind of bias that doesn't really apply anymore. In terms of the guys that have left, of course they were quality players. But we have plenty of candidates to fill those roles and I know that people have to see the best of Connacht this year.

"Hopefully, tomorrow will get us rolling. Playing in front of a traditional Sportsground crowd in the European Cup at this time of year is generally a situation that we like."

Tomorrow's visitors are Italian side Amatori Catania and next weekend, Connacht travel to Montpellier for a renewal of hostilities in balmy southern France that have proven so fruitful for them in recent years.

Connacht are a momentum team and a fortnight of solid performances could right their ship when they return to the bread and butter of the Celtic League. But somewhere along the way, they are likely to encounter a club with deeper pockets and more lavish squads than they have, as was so starkly illustrated against Sale last year. The Manchester club had no less than a string of internationals and even Lions on their team while Elwood, playing his final game that April afternoon, was the only Connacht player with full international experience.

"Yeah, but the Connacht mentality has never been to fret too much about what other teams have," argues Allnutt.

"It is self-defeating. We are more than happy with the players we have got. And the relevant point about that final in Sale is not about who they had on the field, it was that our guys did not replicate the standard of play they had shown all season.

"We were a disappointment, anyone of them would say that. But we moved on and learned from it and want to get back that far again and push for a place in the Heineken Cup."

From Warwick's perspective, the call to come to Connacht came at a perfect time in his career.

"Elated," the 24-year-old remembers as his reaction. "I was playing sevens and it was beginning to look as if I couldn't quite cut it at the highest level in Australia and I was definitely keen to explore the European scene. I didn't know a lot about Connacht's situation but the atmosphere here was terrific from the beginning.

"And we don't have a team with 15 or 16 internationals but you know, we punch our weight and believe in and support one another. I still think we can recover ground in the Celtic League and maybe tomorrow will be a good springboard towards that.

"But I look at guys like Matt (Mostyn) and Tim (Allnutt) who are really enjoying their time here and I have just committed to a two-year contract so I can safely say my future is with Connacht."