Denis Buckley has never scrummaged so much. Which is quite something for a prop who is in his 12th season as a professional.
But all that hard work is certainly paying off. With a 95% success rate, Connacht boast the fourth-best scrum in the BKT United Rugby Championship, and the best of the Irish provinces.
Colm 'Cullie' Tucker took over as scrum and contact coach as part of Connacht's coaching rejig during the summer and Buckley says the Limerickman has brought their set-up "up another level".
It was the Connacht scrum that lay the platform against Munster last month in Galway, where two early penalties put the Westerners on course for their first victory of the season.
Now they will try to replicate that at Thomond Park on Saturday as they target a fourth win over their neighbours in five attempts.
"It has gone well, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into the scrum," Buckley told RTÉ Sport. "In that first game [of the season] against Ulster maybe we didn’t quite get it right and do some of the things we’d been working on.
"But this season so far, it’s probably the most time I’ve spent scrummaging. We just put more time into it than other years and I think that’s starting to be reflected out on the pitch in games. It’s starting to turn into a big weapon for us.
"The last time we played Munster it was a big part of winning that game. Obviously it’s an area we want to use as a weapon every week.
"Munster have a good scrum and it’s an area they’ll probably be targeting as well. We’re under no illusions about that, that we’ll just go and it’ll happen for us. We have to make it happen.
"It’s something we’ve spoken about and put a lot of time into, and we’re starting to see the benefits."
Buckley, 32, has featured in all seven of Connacht’s games this campaign, forming an impressive front row with Ireland internationals Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham.
After a rocky start where they lost three games on the road and failed to collect a single point, Andy Friend’s side have won three of their last four, with the set-piece playing a major role.
"That combination of myself, Dave Heffernan and Finlay, the three of us really enjoy scrummaging and working together," said Buckley.
"Even in the loose, when you play in a combination like that for so long, you really do start to learn each other’s games inside-out and how you bounce off and complement each other in your strengths."
"This season so far is probably the most amount of time I've spent scrummaging"
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) November 24, 2022
Denis Buckley chats about the Connacht scrum ahead of Saturday game in Thomond Park 💪#ConnachtRugby pic.twitter.com/Vh5SS5iLiT
The trip to Limerick marks the start of a demanding 10-game block for Connacht, which includes Challenge Cup fixtures and another couple of interprovincial derbies.
They headed into the November break on the back of successive wins over the Scarlets and Ospreys, but Buckley says that will count for little against a Munster side who are desperate for points after five defeats in seven games.
"It’s almost must-win for both teams," said the Roscommon native. "We had a poor start to the season, losing our first three, and Munster were similar. We’re probably a bit lower down the table than where we’d like to be.
"It really is an important game for both teams. It’s one we’re looking forward to but no doubt they’re targeting this game massively as well. It’s going to be tough."
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