Former Ireland lock Noel Mannion has said Connacht are reaping the rewards of Pat Lam's dedication to a game-plan that is finally bearing fruit.
Connacht sit top of the Pro12 table and are turning heads, with a memorable victory at Thomond Park last week showcasing impressive intensity and execution.
They take on to Cardiff Blues in Wales on Friday (7.05pm), and Mannion believes they can keep the
Speaking to RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland, he said: “Their ball-handling skills against Munster were exceptional and they have been for the last couple of matches.
"We’ve been watching them for a few years playing this possession game and being beaten and being frustrated by knock-ons and bad passes at the wrong time and losing games in the last minutes. It's a culmination of all the skill sets they've put together over the last year; finally it’s come to fruition.
"They got off to a winning start and if you get one or two wins under your belt and you gain a bit of momentum the results follow on."
“People are sitting up now and taking notice of what they’re doing. Connacht have three big games coming up: Cardiff, Leinster and Ulster. If they can be top of the table come the middle of January Pat Lam will be very, very happy. Six more wins in this league will put Connacht in a very strong position for a Champions Cup spot."
Robbie Henshaw - out for six weeks after suffering a hand injury against Munster - has been linked with a move away from the west, but Mannion said there's no better place than Connacht for the centre right now.
“I'd love to see Robbie stay in Connacht but he’s got to do what's best for himself. From a financial point of view he’ll probably have to look at that.
"From a playing point of view one would have to wonder what the benefit would be of moving away from Connacht to another Irish province at the moment because of the way Connacht are playing.
"The middle of January will give us a lot clearer picture of where we stand."
