Ronan O’Gara has praised high-flying Connacht and doesn’t believe they will falter at the finishing line as they bid to qualify automatically for next season’s Champions Cup.
Pat Lam’s side ground out a 7-6 victory over Leinster in testing conditions at the Sportsground to record their sixth successive win in the Guinness Pro12 and seventh in all competitions as they sit at the top of the table with just four league games remaining.
The Westerners have confounded their critics all season long and their expansive attacking play has won many admirers.
Speaking on 2fm’s Game On programme, former Ireland international Ronan O’Gara said the players involved will be satisfied with their progress this season as they seek to earn a home semi-final.
“They have been consistently excellent,” he said. “The fascinating aspect for me is that it looks like they aren’t going to blow up, which I think they have done in the past.
“They are backing their process, backing their game plan, backing their skill level. They are the team with the most tries scored (50).
“Pat Lam has done an absolutely superb job there.”
“They should be hugely, hugely happy with what they are doing.”
Former Ireland and Leinster hooker Shane Byrne says that rather than fade away after a blistering start to the campaign, they have simply gone from strength-to-strength despite the increased pressure.
“From halfway through the season we have been waiting for this to fall apart, from a Connacht point of view, and it hasn’t. In fact it’s quite the opposite,” he told listeners.
“They are scoring tries when most sides aren’t scoring tries.”
The slender interprovincial win was made possible by a huge defensive effort in the closing stages as the visitors were camped at the line in desperate search of a winning score and the former Leinster star believes Connacht got their just rewards.
“It was a typical scoreline you get out at the Sportsground, but what Connacht threw in towards the end of the game, secretly, I was almost happy enough they held out.
“Pat Lam has done an absolutely superb job there.”
With Connacht setting the pace and Munster, Leinster and Ulster putting in some indifferent performances throughout the season, some critics have questioned the quality of this season’s league campaign, but Byrne believes the World Cup hangover is the primary reason why the season was a slow-burner.
“It’s a hard season. A lot of the Pro12 sides give a massive amount of their squad and it does have an effect," he said. "The standard is rising as the season goes on.”
“Connacht most definitely have improved. Have the other three provinces stayed where they are? Or have some of them receded?” O’Gara questioned when asked his thoughts on the standard of the Pro12.
“Only time will tell.
“It’s important from the Irish provinces point of view that all them are in the Champions Cup and making an impact hopefully at the knockout stages.”
"Unfortunately this year, none of them are left in the competition."
