Connacht complete their home season on Saturday evening when they welcome Celtic opponents Edinburgh to Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (7.35pm ).
In a game of high stakes, Connacht now need the minimum of two wins in their bid to seal a URC top-eight position, firstly against Edinburgh at home on Saturday evening, and then away to Zebre in Parma.
Even that might still not be enough given their current 14th position in the table, but Connacht’s interim head coach Cullie Tucker says the maths is simple - two bonus points will put Connacht in the best position to challenge for that vital top eight.
“It’s a dog fight between both teams now to put themselves in the position to be in contention for the last game,” Tucker says. “An incredibly tough challenge ahead. But we feel we have trained well, and we're looking forward to it.
“Over the last couple of weeks we've taken our learnings, and eventually, I think those things tell, but I've said constantly, once our effort is there and once we're creating, you know at some stage it does have to crack for us.”
“Obviously we need other teams to beat each other, but the four Welsh teams are in South Africa. Everybody's been beating each other - that's been in the season so far. I think the race for the top eight will come right down to the end of the season, but ultimately, what we can control is how we perform and going after the 10 points that are on offer. And that's what we intend to do.”
Connacht may be only six points off the current top eight, but it has become a crowded table with six teams currently battling to break that barrier, including Munster and Saturday night’s opponents from the Scottish capital, who, in 10th spot, have a four-point advantage.
Tucker admits it has been a frustrating season, exacerbated by the loss of head coach Pete Wilkins.
“Fifteen bonus points all season tells the story in itself, including a number over the last couple of weeks. All those things lead to frustrations and disappointments in the group. And then, there has been Pete's situation as well. It’s just a scenario you wouldn't normally face. So there have been challenges.”
Connacht continue to be without Ireland star Mack Hansen who underwent an ankle procedure last week, while Colm Reilly (knee ), Shane Jennings (shoulder ), Byron Ralston (knee ) and Josh Ioane (hand ) also will be absent for the final two fixtures. Reilly suffered a dislocated kneecap in the Lions game and will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks, while Jennings dislocated his shoulder in the same game and will be out for 12 weeks following surgery this week.
Key players Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade and Denis Buckley are fit to play, having missed the South African trip, while Sean O’Brien, a long-term absentee, is also available, having recovered from a hamstring injury.
Carty's new contract
Good news for the province is outhalf Jack Carty has renewed his contract for another season. Having made his debut in 2012, Connacht’s record points scorer penned a new contract this week.
Now 32, Carty has been described as the “linchpin in Connacht’s attack”, while also scoring 1277 points in his 220 appearances.
Carty, who came through the Connacht pathway system playing with Buccaneers RFC and Marist College, admits the odds are against Connacht now.
“We got to a place last year when we had it in our own hands against Leinster, and I suppose we threw in the towel quite early. We’ve spoken about that in terms of the performance we want to give, and when the final weekend comes, we want to have put ourselves in the best position. We are up against the odds to do so, but yes, that’s where we are at.”
Carty’s continued place in Connacht was also in some doubt this season, but, he says, getting game time in South Africa enabled him to show he still has the ability to play at the level required.
“Not playing for an extended period of time, the doubt does eventually start to creep in, but against the Stormers, to give that performance, I was pleased.”
Carty, who had not been selected since January, admits he struggled in some games.
“When you are playing so sporadically, then every chance you get, you need to really take it, and I think there were times I did that, and maybe was not rewarded, but then the next chance I got, I probably didn’t take it.”
Having won 11 Irish caps and a member of the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad, Carty always believed he could continue to add to Connacht’s cause, and was further encouraged when he saw the new High Performance Centre.
It was then he asked himself: “Could I really be anywhere else with the facilities that are now here?”
“I've trained in a 4x4m square gym and that was before the Clan [stand] and before the current facilities, so it would have been a shame not to have the opportunity to be here now.
“It’s phenomenal, and when it all came down and the contract was there, I was always going to sign it.”
