With a record nine players involved in the wider Ireland squad for the Guinness Six Nations, Connacht are demonstrably doing something right.
They qualified out of the pool stage of the Challenge Cup as top seeds, claiming maximum return from their four games.
The issue is their URC form. Pete Wilkins' side have lost their last four in a row and are above only Zebre and Dragons in the table.
Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham are seasoned international starters, while Caolin Blade and Cian Prendergast have a handful of caps.
Cathal Forde and Ben Murphy were included as development players by interim coach Simon Easterby, who called up Shayne Bolton and Jack Aungier as cover during the opening two rounds.
"It’s a huge statement, a testament to everyone involved, certainly the players have earned a right to get those opportunities," said Wilkins ahead of two crucial URC games, against Cardiff tomorrow, and Benetton in two weeks with 10 points the stated aim for the matches.
"I’d like to think the quality of coaching and player development has played its part, too.
"It’s fantastic for the club, brilliant recognition.
"In terms of where it sits with the team’s progress, it’s interesting.
"I’d like to think we’re moving in the right direction, players are getting better in this programme.
"Also, that we are playing a type of rugby, albeit inconsistently, that gets a player recognised and demonstrates that they have the potential to play at the next level.
"Naturally I’d be thinking the final piece of the jigsaw would be the team performance. We’ve got individuals who are improving and you would hope that collective bit is not far behind.
"It’s a wonderful theory but we’ve got to deliver. These next two games will show if that’s the case."
Connacht will be boosted by the return of the Ireland squad players who didn't see any game time so far in the Six Nations for tomorrow’s tie against Cardiff, the second of three meetings this season, including the last-16 European tie at the start of April.
Of the mounting pressure for results, Wilkins said: "Just by nature of being a coach, professionally, but particularly a head coach, there’s always pressure around you but it’s about how you process it and focusing on what you can control but also focusing very strongly in what you believe in.
"Our URC form shows we’ve got a lot more work still to do, that challenge excites me, I’d love to be further down the track than we are.
"The pressure will always be there, that’s professional sport, and as it should be because we are representing a lot of people.
"No, I’m good, it comes with the territory and we’ll keep working really hard."
Cardiff, under head coach Matt Sherratt before he takes up the interim head coach role with Wales, are fifth in the table but haven’t won in Galway since 2017.
Meanwhile, tighthead prop Aungier (above) was called up when Tadgh Furlong left the training camp in Portugal ahead of the tournament, and explained how he learned about his promotion.
Aungier, who moved from Leinster to Connacht in 2020 and has made 78 appearances, was fresh off the field following Connacht's last defeat in Glasgow when he got the call.
The 26-year-old former Suttonians RFC player said: "It was straight after the Glasgow game so I was pretty down with how the game went and I actually looked at my phone first and I’d a missed call from Simon Easterby and I was like, 'Jesus, that’s weird’.
"Then Pete just told me that Tadhg got injured and I’d have to fly to Portugal at six the next morning.
"It was pretty surreal. I rang my mother, father, and girlfriend. I was shocked, I didn’t think I was that close. It was brilliant to be the next guy in.
"I missed training because we were late getting in, I did Tuesday and Wednesday and was 24th man for the England game. It all happened very quickly but it was an unbelievable experience."
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