Youth is on the side of Pat Lam’s Connacht squad – the backline that started the post-Christmas games against Leinster and Zebre had an average age of 22 and the current squad is full of academy graduates who have come through the grassroots schools and clubs system in the province.
The team that started in round five of the Heineken Cup included schools cup winners Eoin Griffin, Eoin McKeon and Robbie Henshaw. It also included Darragh Leader, Jack Carty and Mick Kearney who burst onto the scene thanks to the academy and their club level.
It’s a balancing act out west, but despite the challenges facing Ireland’s fourth province, the signs are very positive, with the academy, schools and club systems all playing a part.
“The signs are encouraging in terms of schools; we have 29 schools competing at Junior Level this year,” explains Lyndon Jones, domestic games manager in Connacht. “That’s a record and it is up from 24 last year,” he says.
Those numbers drop when it comes to senior level; just seven will compete for the Senior Cup title this year, starting with a pool format and then the semi finals. Another eight are involved in the Development Cup.
There are just a handful of contenders for the senior honours. Garbally College looks strong, holders Marist College are in contention for a third successive title and traditional powerhouses Sligo Grammar and the Jes are in the mix. Summerhill Sligo are the potential dark horse, with Rice College Westport and the Bish the outsiders.
“At both schools and club level from under-14 to under-17, playing numbers are high and our competitions are competitive across the board,” says Jones. “This year’s Junior Cup has sides like St Gerald’s Castlebar and CBS Roscommon as contenders. Rice College Westport won two junior titles in recent years.”
Bridge the gap
The challenge for Jones and those involved in the development of the game in the west, including the 10 part-time youth development officers employed, is to bridge the gap.
“A rugby culture needs to be bedded down in these schools, where preparing a squad for the senior cup becomes part of the cycle each year,” says Jones. “That can only come from within the school, [from] teachers committed to the game.”
All of that takes time. The established schools get testing fixtures in the early months of the year. Sligo Grammar, Coláiste Iognáid and Marist College travel to Ulster, Munster and Leinster. They are in the circle and grow as a result.
“Before we had our breakthrough success in 2012, we lost finals in 2008 and 2009,” explains Michael Loftus, Marist College teacher and senior head coach. “To make the next step we knew we needed to test ourselves outside the province against the likes of Crescent College, Blackrock . . . and to look at our long-term development plan.”
A training programme for transition-year students in the school was introduced that focused on developing strength and skills. More work was done at first-year level where a young Robbie Henshaw was eager to get involved, hoping that he could end the three decade wait for a second title for the Athlone school.
“All that couldn’t happen without the support and backing of the Connacht Branch and the IRFU, combined with people within the school nurturing the culture,” says Loftus.
“You look at the likes of Joe Schmidt, Eddie O’Sullivan, Declan Kidney and Pat Lam – they all come from teaching backgrounds.
“When you’re with the lads every day, you see them in the corridors, you know what radiators they lean on . . .you meet with them outside of training,” says Loftus. “In Marist, we meet every Monday morning at small break as a senior squad just to check in, review the weekend’s sport, see what injuries have developed.”
Good competition
Connacht Academy director Nigel Carolan is part of the process. Schools rugby for him is about building character and leadership skills, but in Connacht the challenges can't be ignored.
“There are three things you need in a successful development programme in any sport: good players, good coaching and good competition. The current senior squad proves we have the players; at schools level, the coaching in Connacht is excellent but the competition isn’t strong until the final four and that holds us back.
“In Leinster, they have their elite sides but there are 12 or more strong sides there as well, meaning players develop through new challenges each week.
“You take Robbie [Henshaw] and you can see how he excelled quickly at professional level because he was challenged every week and continues to be challenged,” adds Carolan.
It all comes down to a balance in Connacht and a collective drive. Volunteerism is key and it is at threat with teacher resources under pressure.
The long-term goal is to get six to eight schools into a cycle of senior success. The hurdles in their way are not going to be easy to clear but the appetite is clearly there.
