Sport

Connacht’s forwards coach tells players ‘stop being nice Connacht boys’

Hooker Dave Heffernan says the team’s new additions have added extra physicality this season

Dave Heffernan during Connacht squad training at the Sport Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Linley MacKenzie
Tue Oct 11 2022 - 05:00

Dewald Senekal , Connacht’s forwards coach, is continuing to develop a new playing demeanour this season. Stemming from their poor showing in South Africa where they struggled to cope with the physicality of both the Stormers and the Bulls, Senekal had told the players to “stop being nice Connacht boys”.

And according to hooker Dave Heffernan, the pack took his words to heart and delivered a 20-11 win over Munster in the Sportsground on Friday to record their first win in four outings of this season’s URC season.

“We had a discussion privately as a pack, and it hurt to hear it from the coach,” says Heffernan. “That’s the last thing you want is to be questioned on. We had a real honest conversation in South Africa about it, and we fronted up against the Bulls and Munster.”

The hooker, who was injured in Ireland’s tour to New Zealand in the summer, says having been disappointed in his first couple of games this season his 100 per cent record at the weekend was pleasing. ”I did find it tough at times, but when you get it right like at the weekend it is very pleasing at the same time. But it means little unless we continue to build.”

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Connacht can take heart that having been written off against Leinster last year they “nearly pulled off the first one” in their back-to-back Heineken Cup fixtures, losing 21-26 and then 56-20.

”We definitely left that one behind us. We showed great intent that day but we had a lot of errors. And in the second game we were not up to it, not physical enough, and we got dominated early on. If we don’t match Leinster physically they will put up a cricket score, so we really need to be on the money in terms of physicality and accuracy, and that is what we want to deliver on at the weekend.”

Heffernan says Connacht’s new additions, such as Josh Murphy, have added extra physicality this season, but “bringing that edge each week is now something that is now non-negotiable. It will go a long way to winning more rugby matches”.

Connacht have not reported any fresh injuries this week.