A NEW SEASON tends to summon feelings of excitement and hope, but in Connacht’s case, it’s been a long time since the feel-good factor has been so strong.
The appointment of Stuart Lancaster as head coach looks a game-changer, and comes as the province prepare to step into a significant new era in their history. The revamped Dexcom Stadium is expected to be fully open in January of next year. The squad now trains in a state of the art new high performance centre, and despite a disappointing return on the pitch last season, it remains a squad which can punch higher.
In Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham, Connacht have three British and Irish Lions on their books, while at the other end of the scale there are exciting players kicking on – Ben Murphy, Hugh Gavin, Jack Aungier and Darragh Murray all returned from the summer as Ireland internationals.
Watching what Lancaster can do with this group could be the most fascinating story in Irish rugby this season. This is a different project to what is happening around the other provinces. There is no headline signing brought in to make a big impact, such as Juarno Augustus at Ulster or Reiko Ioane at Leinster, nor has there been major turnover like the loss of key senior players at Munster. Connacht’s project is fully focused on how Lancaster can improve a group who underachieved in 2024/25, and remains largely the same.
The former England, Leinster and Racing coach looks an ideal appointment given his track record of developing young players. At Connacht he’ll have a core of senior men to rely on, alongside a strong group of emerging talents eager to take the next step in their careers.
With former Harlequins man Billy Millard also on board in the newly-created role of General Manager of Performance, Lancaster’s focus is likely to be centered around working on the training pitch as opposed to in the office – similar to how he worked alongside Leo Cullen to such good effect at Leinster.
And it’s clear where Connacht need to improve. Connacht’s defence was a glaring weakness last season and it was no surprise to see defence coach Scott Fardy move on. The province won just six from 18 in the URC and conceded 62 tries along the way. Their scrum ranked 15th and they were 14th in terms of tries per 22 entry.
Connacht lost five URC games by five points or less last season, and turning just a couple of those narrow losses into wins this time around could ease the pressure at key points of the season.
On the positive side, Connacht’s lineout ranked first with a 91.4% success rate, while they also had the best maul defence in the URC (81%), highlighting the good work being done by lineout and maul coach John Muldoon.
That leaky defence will be expected to tighten up under Lancaster’s watch and he’ll also be confident of sharpening Connacht’s accuracy in attack, an area where new assistant coach Rob Seib will also have responsibility. The word out of pre-season has been positive and already Lancaster’s presence will have boosted confidence and belief after the disappointment of last year, where morale dipped as Pete Wilkins’ time in charge came to an unfortunate end.
And for all the change that’s taken place across the management side of things, the squad retains a familiar look. Piers O’Connor, Andrew Smith, JJ Hanrahan and Santiago Cordero have all departed, but New Zealander Sam Gilbert is the only new recruit. Gilbert, 26, can play at centre, wing and fullback and is also a goalkicking option.
Sam Gilbert joins from the Highlanders this season. Photosport / Michael Thomas/INPHO
Photosport / Michael Thomas/INPHO / Michael Thomas/INPHO
As ever with Connacht, keeping key players fit will be crucial and there is always a concern they lack the power up front to compete with the biggest teams.
Lancaster’s arrival ensures expectations have risen but at the moment the bar is relatively low. Having missed out on the URC playoffs last season, getting back in the top eight will be the aim, and it’s certainly an achievable one.
The Challenge Cup felt like a missed opportunity last season as Connacht lost a quarter-final thriller to Racing 92 – who played more than an hour with 14 men. A pool draw against the Ospreys, Black Lion, Montpellier and Montauban offers an opportunity to go on another cup run this time around.
In the URC, opening fixtures against Benetton (home), Scarlets (home), Cardiff (away) and the Bulls (home) looks challenging but not daunting.
After the disappointment of last season, it feels as though the only way for the western province is up.
