Pat Lam says that Connacht’s performance in their Champions Cup defeat to Wasps demonstrates that news of his departure at the end of the season did not prove a distraction.
The Pro12 champions were more than a match for the Premiership high-flyers for most of the game and trailed by just three points at the break.
It took until the 64th minute for Dai Young’s side to pull clear before recording a 32-17 win.
“That’s what Connacht’s about,” Lam told RTÉ Sport when asked about the on-field reaction of the players to the news of his switch to Bristol at the end of the season.
“We’ve had many adversities throughout my time here, on and off the field – that’s what gives us strength – that it’s a resilient group.
“We look at lessons and experiences that we’ve had and we use that to our benefit. I was pretty proud of the effort but if we had executed better, we had a great chance."
The possession stats read 50-50 at the end of game, while the visitors enjoyed 53% of territory.
Lam said that they felt like they could have emerged with something from the Pool 2 encounter.
“It’s a pretty deflated change room in the sense that we certainly feel that we lost that game, [rather] than got beaten," he said.
"We had opportunities to really put the pressure on. We also made mistakes at crucial stages, at the breakdown or dropped the ball. We’re pretty gutted in that sense.
"There were enough opportunities for us there to win the game, but we didn't make the most of them. We will just have to dust ourselves off.
"The boys know there are things we are going to get better at, and we need to get better at."
Connacht host Wasps next Saturday at the Sportsground (5.30pm).
Meanwhile, Australian star Kurtley Beale revealed a sense of relief after returning from injury and making a try-scoring Wasps debut.
Beale, who was also yellow-carded, struck after just seven minutes.
It was his first game since suffering a serious knee injury playing for Sydney-based Super Rugby franchise the Waratahs in May.
"It has been a long time coming," said Beale, who is thought to be the Premiership's highest-paid player.
"It was a very special moment to get out there playing for my new club and contributing the way I did. I had a little bit of a taste of everything, really!
"I have been very lucky. Wasps have been fantastic supporting me through the tough times. They have made my welcome here very settling.
"I have been able to concentrate on my rugby and try to get back to the form I was in before the injury.
"There have been some really dark days. I am just relieved that I have come out today and did my job for the team.
"Of course there are doubts, and nerves kicking in. It was important that I didn't get carried away with the whole occasion. Overall, it is exciting to be back and doing what I love."
Beale was harshly sin-binned for a high tackle, and Wasps rugby director Young added: "I think there would be a big fine around the corner if I really said what I really thought.
"There were obstacles in the game, and the referee's interpretation was one we had to battle with. We certainly seemed to fall on the wrong side of some decisions. Some of them were head-scratchers, to be honest.
"I said to Kurtley before the game to go out and enjoy himself.
"To go to the other side of the world to play rugby is difficult enough, but to arrive somewhere injured and having to work for six months (to recover) is really tough. It's testament to his strength of character that he has come through that."
Wasps kept their collective composure as number eight Nathan Hughes, skipper Joe Launchbury and wing Josh Bassett followed Beale's try-scoring example, while fly-half Jimmy Gopperth kicked two penalties and three conversions to underpin victory ahead of next week's return fixture in Galway.
Wasps claimed a try-scoring bonus and moved three points clear of Connacht and four above Toulouse, although they were given a stern test by their opponents for large parts of an entertaining contest.
Scrum-half Kieran Marmion and substitute Rory Parata scored tries for the visitors, with fly-half Jack Carty converting both Connacht touchdowns and kicking a penalty, and despite the defeat, last season's league champions remain firmly in the quarter-final mix.
Young said: "Connacht played some great stuff and put us under lots of pressure. It was nothing we didn't expect.
"We knew they would really test our defence and that they wouldn't kick too much, and I thought we stood up to the challenge really strongly.
"When we had our opportunities, I thought we were pretty clinical. With 60 minutes gone, it was still nip and tuck, but in fairness to the boys they found another gear in the last 20."
