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Connacht facing Bourgoin 'with a lot of confidence'

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL: SINCE MICHAEL Bradley took charge of the Connacht squad he believes this season represents…

JOHNNY WATTERSON Reports
Wed Apr 07 2010 - 01:00

AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL:SINCE MICHAEL Bradley took charge of the Connacht squad he believes this season represents the best chance of qualification for the Heineken Cup through the Amlin Challenge competition.

The Connacht coach knows that his injury list of Robbie Morris, George Naoupu, Ray Ofisa, Niva Ta’auso, Keith Matthews and Liam Bibo will thin out over the week but does not expect Bibo or Ofisa to play.

The other cluster of players will be fit for Saturday’s Amlin Challenge quarter-final against French side Bourgoin.

“This is the strongest we’ve been in the period I’ve been here,” said Bradley yesterday at a sunny Sportsground .

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“The players this season have been taking more responsibility and have been challenging the management. We have been the top qualifiers from the pools and have come through undefeated. They are the achievements along the way, flags in the ground so to speak. But this is the business end of the season. We are going in with a lot of confidence.”

This is Bradley’s last season before Eric Elwood takes over and after surviving season to season on an influx and exodus of players, he has, over the last few years, had the luxury of injecting some consistency.

Citing the arrival of former Leinster players, Fionn Carr, Ian Keatly and Irish hooker, Sean Cronin, who have come in and made a big impact but importantly have also promised to stay another season, Connacht’s mood is that they have more to their game than in previous years.

The remark of Gavin Duffy yesterday, cut to the chase. Duffy observed how the constant change of players occasionally unseated him pre-season.

“Every July you’d turn up and there were 12 new faces,” said the only man in the squad, who has won a Challenge Cup quarter-final at the Sportsground, when he played for Harlequins against Connacht six years ago.

While Bradley and his side were enjoying the warm weather and their gathering vein of form, the challenge of Bourgoin, where French outhalf, Benjamin Boyet, pulls most of the strings, remains real and threatening.

The French club were inaugural winners of the tournament in 1997 but were denied a double when they were beaten by Northampton 15-3 the following year. Unsurprisingly Bradley has been doing his own digging into the recent form of the French visitors.

“We’ve four or five of their games and 10 of their last team sheets,” said the coach. We’ve also got some information from Leeds. I think we have as good a feel as we need to challenge them on Saturday.

At the same time, this time last year they (Bourgoin) beat London Irish in the Madjeski. That’s warning bells for us. They realise that if they get past us they get a home semi-final and could progress to the Heineken Cup that route.”

That’s the same thinking as Connacht, who will also get a home semi-final if they win. Unbeaten in Galway since September, they are hoping to create an image of the Sportsground along the intimidating lines of Thomond Park. For that they need more bodies through the turnstiles and that is also to the forefront of their thinking. The team has not yet gathered critical local mass but it is a work in progress.

“It’s very important to us that we get a carnival atmosphere in the Sportsground. It’s a step up,” said Bradley. “But our form has been good and we need to push that home with a capacity crowd.”

Connacht has been to the knock-out stages in six previous tournaments and has had to travel away to Newcastle and Northampton the last two times. There is a strong understanding that as well as having the most cohesive squad for some time the circumstances of form and venue are also with Connacht.

“It’s time we moved up a level. Everyone involved with Connacht wants to move on to the Holy Grail of Heineken Cup rugby,” added backrow, John Muldoon, now in his sixth season with the province.

Yesterday in Galway had the sunny feel of pre-season. Shorts, T-shirts and also now just a short sprint to the final tape for Bradley. Tempting to think that with all the good feel factors, fate too is with them.

CONNACHT (squad v Bourgoin, Saturday, Sportsground, 1.0):F Carr, G Duffy, I Keatley, K Matthews, F Murphy, T Nathan, M Nikora, C O'Loughlin, N Ta'auso, B Tuohy, A Wynne (Forwards) A Browne, S Cronon, A Flavin, J Hagan, R Loughney, M McCarthy, M McComish, R Morris, J Muldoon, G Naoupu, D Nolan, J O'Connor, M Swift, B Upton, B Wilkinson.