Something appears to have clicked with Conor Oliver, one of many provincial backrowers putting their hands up this season. The 26-year-old has revelled in Connacht's brand of rugby and even at a bulked up 16 stone or so and standing at 6', is punching impressively above his weight.
A feature of both his and Connacht’s attacking game is the timing of Oliver’s runs on to the ball, so much so that he has become one of their primary carriers. Connacht host Premiership leaders Leicester at the Sportsground on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm), and in the first meeting at Welford Road his 10 carries equaled Bundee Aki and were only surpassed by Tiernan O’Halloran, such was the Tigers’ emphasis on kicking.
In 10 games this season, all but one starting, Oliver has made 87 carries and 431 metres, beating 12 defenders, while also passing 56 times.
Used regularly by Rassie Erasmus in his academy years at Munster, and named their academy player of the year, Oliver was given only six appearances in his last two seasons in the senior squad – with just two appearances off the bench in 2019-20 before moving to Connacht.
Initially more of a fetcher, he has almost reinvented himself and along the way appears to have become more controlled, and less reckless with his body, if still fearless.
“There’s a different brand of rugby from the last few years I played in Munster. And maybe a bit of adaption on my part to go out there and play with a bit more confidence.
“At the start of this season the coaches gave me a lot of confidence to express myself and do things I want to do on the pitch. And I feel as if, not as if I have a free rein, but it’s a lot more expansive than I was maybe used to back in Munster.”
Maybe it’s also the sea air. From Skerries, where he began playing with the club’s under-8s before finishing his school years with a Leinster Schools Cup triumph at Blackrock, Oliver lives in Barna, where despite the freezing temperatures he often goes for a swim after training.
But there are other factors at work.
"Mental preparation has been something that I have worked on a lot more this season, keeping a small training journal. Jack Birtwhistle, an Australian who came over and helped us with mental preparation last season, and I worked closely enough with him. That's maybe something that I didn't really pay enough attention to last season and in previous ones."
Clearly a very diligent pro, this week, like any other, Oliver will have a checklist of extras, such as tackles and carries.
“We have great coaches here who stay after the session and they set up different drills, and whatever you need to get done you can get done. Say I have five things that I need to get done during the week on top of team training. If I have that checklist ticked off I know for a fact that I am ready to play on the weekend, that I have done everything during the week to prepare me to play.”
He’s always placed a premium on his high work-rate, adding: “I can play for 80 minutes easily, I don’t feel like I get too fatigued.”
Indeed he's completed 80 minutes in seven of his starts and made 117 tackles this season, leading the way against both Stade Francais (along with Cian Prendergast on 11) and Leicester (with 10, and none missed in both games).
“Then this season I’m pretty happy with how I’m carrying the ball and getting quick yards from my carries, successful carries. Look, I’m getting a lot of carries, which probably helps the stats go up a bit!
“If you have got 10 carries and six of them are good, it’s going to be a decent enough stat and maybe that’s something I’ve showed this season that has been better than in previous years.”
The ante goes up in European weeks and Oliver makes no bones about this team’s desire to break new ground.
“These are the games that everyone wants to be playing in and everyone wants to be performing in. We are not shying away from the fact that we want to be the first Connacht team to get out of the pool stage and get to the playoffs. We have talked about this and it’s a massive aim for us as a squad.”
To that end, better too to have a half-full Sportsground than no fans at all.
“I love the Sportsground,” Oliver declares. “I know it’s not the biggest place but we get a massive showing for these games and it’s great seeing what it does for the people of Connacht. The smiles on people’s faces don’t go unnoticed as players. As a club and as a community as well, I think it uplifts everyone.”
