Andy Friend has learned anything from his years coaching rugby, it is that “s**t happens”, and that is the approach he is taking into Sunday’s interprovincial joust with Leinster.
Connacht lag behind the URC leaders by some 27 points, but he is applying a lesson learned last January when despite his side’s somewhat bizarre preparation, they prevailed in the RDS by 35-24.
“That was one of the most bizarre nights and weeks we had,” he says. “We had selected payers four times because we had players dropping out with injury and Covid, and then we get up there that evening, we get off the bus, and Kieran Marmion slips and injures himself, so it was as fifth change.”
It also changed attitudes because in what Friend describes was probably the most disruptive week since he arrived at the Sportsground, it turned out to be one of the better performances and one of Connacht’s biggest scalps.
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“It was one of those nights when you say, ‘you know what, let’s just back ourselves and have a go’. Now we are not going to repeat that and pick the team five times, but I think we have to go back through history sometimes and see, what was our attitude.
“And you know what, s**t happens, we’ve got a job to do, so let’s back ourselves, have a go, we’ve nothing to lose. And that is the exact same approach we should be taking.”
In what will be Friend’s last time in charge at the RDS, he says the best respect Leinster can pay Connacht is to select their best team.
“I think ever since that game Leinster have shown us enormous respect in the teams they have put up against us, which is what we what.”
Injury problems
Connacht has several injury woes that include Paul Boyle (shoulder) and Gavin Thornbury (knee) since their Challenge Cup joust with Brive, while Mattie Burke and Seán Masterson are also unavailable.
He accepts Connacht have a tough road ahead in qualifying for Champions Cup rugby, having “put ourselves in a corner”, but says it is important now to get as many points in every game remaining.
While Connacht continue to make tackles, line-breaks and have the ability to beat defenders, the mounting errors are proving their undoing, while Leinster have the ability to up the ante.
“It is the unforced stuff which is hurting us,” he says, “That is the frustrating one. Classic Leinster go down to 14 men and then score two tries — they seem to up the ante when they are asked.
“Yes, it’s a big ask [for us], but we know we have won there before. It’s about us trying to minimise the errors because like most teams, give them an opportunity and they’ll take it, so we need to be much improved.”
