Connacht, having “put it to bed” their six-point loss to Munster in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park to focus on this weekend’s EPCR Challenge Cup competition, can celebrate a new chapter in their history.
Connacht’s first fixture in Mayo highlighted the importance of rugby in the province outside its traditional home in Galway, with Connacht coach Cullie Tucker hailing the experience as an “incredible occasion”.
The full house of 27,580 lapped up the occasion, if not the result, that left both the supporters and the team believing more special events such as this should be held outside their Galway home base.
“The Mayo people are incredible, “ says Tucker - a Munster man. “When we came up and around the place, the welcome we got, the conversations, and the excitement was very visible.
“It was an incredible occasion, and just shows there is great strength in the province in terms of rugby.”
Tucker believes there will be long term benefits from this first foray into the Mayo GAA heartland.
“I would hope to see benefits from this - just one move like that - more than 26,000 people. It's fantastic. And the spread of the tickets was across all five counties as well. So the demand is there, and I thought the energy they brought to the game was fantastic as well.”
Despite the disappointing 24-30 loss to Munster and the increasing difficulty for Connacht to make the URC play-offs, Tucker says the squad will “keep fighting”.
This week is another opportunity, if a different challenge, when Connacht meet familiar foes Cardiff in Dexcom Stadium on Saturday evening (8pm ) in the European competition.
“It’s knockout rugby and we're at home, which is a massive advantage,” says the scrum and contact coach Tucker.
“We obviously know each other very well. Both teams have played each other twice [this season], so it's a game we're massively looking forward to.”
However, he is aware Cardiff will bring a host of returning internationals who were absent in their last clash.
“It’s our third meeting in three or four months, so there is familiarity. They have a lot of Welsh internationals back as well, which will boost them, so it's going to be big challenge for us.”
Cardiff come into this fixture having finished their opening European rounds in fourth place in pool one. They won just a single fixture with seven points; Connacht, with four wins, topped the pool with 20 points.
However, that will mean little in this knock-out fixture. In the URC, Connacht lag behind the Welsh outfit which is sitting in ninth spot, while Cardiff expect to have a host of returning internationals, which will put pressure on the home side.
“Numerous threats,” says Tucker - singling out prop Kieron Assiratti in a powerful scrum, flankers Alex Mann, Dan Thomas, and Thomas Young for their poaching ability at the ruck.
“They're top for contacts in the URC as well. So, their tackling is very good, and their kicking game is very good. So it's a full court press and one we have a lot of respect for.”
Despite Connacht’s loss to Munster, Tucker is looking at the positives.
“We scored four tries again. And you know, we did score a try to potentially win the game, which was unfortunately called back. So that's two weeks in a row we've had two tries in the last quarter of the game. So the spirit and the fight for the jersey and the quality we were playing is very evident and pleasing.”
Connacht, however, will be missing several players for this key European fixture with captain Cian Prendergast ruled out following his head injury after a clash with Munster’s Alex Nankivell.
Prendergast, he says, is involved with the squad from the sidelines, having been released from hospital.
“He was in first thing Monday morning. He's been around the squad helping us prep, helping us put plans in place for both sides of the ball. So he's doing very well, in good spirits, and in a good place at the moment. All scans checked out clear. So he's well on the road to recovery.”
Also ruled out are Chay Mullins, having failed a head injury assessment, and Peter Dooley with a calf sprain. Scrumhalf Ben Murphy, having suffered a broken finger in February, wing Shayne Bolton with a sprained foot have returned to training this week and will be assessed.
