Connacht's latest victory keeps Stuart Lancaster’s side in contention for a URC play-off spot and automatic qualification to the Champions Cup, something that would be crucial for the province.
Success over the Ospreys means that they have now won their last five games and next up for them is a round-of-16 tie against the Hollywoodbets Sharks, a tie vital on two fronts; it’s a chance to win the Challenge Cup in itself and it also provides another route to Champions Cup qualification.
Europe’s premier club competition generates serious income in a time when sports clubs are struggling to stay afloat.
Playing in the Champions Cup is a more attractive prospect for supporters, recruitment and sponsorship. Any ambitious club will accept nothing less than top-tier rugby.
Under Lancaster, Connacht have turned a corner. Their route to the play-offs won’t be straightforward however, with back-to-back games in South Africa as well as hosting Munster and travelling to Edinburgh.
Against the Ospreys, the hosts had lengthy periods without scoring in blustery conditions at the Dexcom Stadium.
They even kicked the ball to touch at the end of the game when had one more shot at gaining a four-try bonus point. The fact that they were happy to kick the ball out on their own terms shows how difficult the Ospreys made the game for them.
Continuing that recent winning form was crucial.
Brothers Niall and Darragh Murray give Connacht a fighting chance at every lineout, such a great source of possession and they do a lot of help to launch Lancaster’s attacking plays.
The siblings come into their own in the defensive lineout, which helped them to victory at various stages last weekend. If you can disrupt the source of possession that the opposition are playing from, and even turn balls over in the lineout, it will go a long way to getting results across the next four rounds of United Rugby Championship.
When at their strongest, Connacht also possess a power game that can be difficult to manage.
Shamus Hurley-Langton was in destructive form upon his return from injury and bagged a brace of tries from close range. Often teams make their way into the 22 but lack the power to finish the move off. Hurley-Langton is a welcome return for the Westerners.
Sean Jansen missed last weekend’s victory with a calf injury. If Connacht can rotate some variation of Paul Boyle, Jansen and Hurley-Langton, they’ll be able to dominate parts of any game.
Cian Prendergast, who also missed the win due to enforced rest, provides a different skillset and balances that power game.
Bundee Aki was slightly quieter last weekend than he was when taking on Ulster the previous week.
When Connacht need big performances and big moments within crucial games, Aki stands up and is as physical as you’ll find in the middle of the field. Added to the Connacht back row, they can provide a powerful punch on their day and can use that to compete with the better sides.
Lancaster has invested in a playmaking approach at Connacht. Despite the power that they possess in the pack and in the midfield - depending on Aki’s availability - the reality is they won’t always be the more physical team on the pitch.
Instead, Lancaster has made a very effective full-back out of out-half Sean Naughton.
With the return to form of Josh Ioane, they regularly have two playmakers on the pitch. Due to an unfortunate injury to Finn Treacy last weekend, and a 6:2 split on the bench, Connacht replaced Treacy with Jack Carty, meaning they had three natural out-halves on the pitch.
Their ability to execute in the wider channels is greater when they have those distribution skills across the pitch.
Having that many playmakers on the pitch at one time might reduce their physical impacts, but it’s about the balance that that can achieve across their back-five players in the pack, their midfield and the rest of their back line.
Naughton missed a penalty to put Connacht ahead, but immediately made a linebreak that provided the opportunity for Matthew Devine (pictured below) to get the winning score. Naughton has been a big part of the development success at Connacht.
The Connacht attack is lively and very well connected. Even before Lancaster’s arrival, the team was never shy in attack.
It’s on the other side of the ball they have tightened up. The game is won on both sides of the scoreboard and Connacht are starting to crack that.
They’re facing into three fixtures against South African opponents which will challenge them in the power game and defensively. The work they’ve done in the last few months will be tested, but they couldn’t be in a better place heading into the coming weeks.
If Connacht can manage to keep their key players fit, they have every chance of climbing the table to reach the play-off spots.
It will take something special on their trip to South Africa, but the challenge might have come at just the right time for Lancaster and his team.
