Connacht’s promotion to the Champions Cup next season remains in the balance despite having made the top eight of the URC.
Stuart Lancaster’s men produced a superb 5-26 win over Edinburgh in Scotland to ensure they moved into the top tier on the last day. It should be enough to promote them into the higher echelon of European rugby, but there is one possible catch, and it is another Irish province that could spoil the party.
While Connacht finished in eighth place with 54 points; Ulster finished in ninth with 52. However, Ulster have another opportunity to grab that remaining Champions Cup place when they take on Montpellier tomorrow (Friday 8pm ) in the European Challenge Cup final. Under rules, the winner of the Challenge Cup competition, is automatically promoted to the top eight - thus, should Ulster overcome the French outfit, they take Connacht’s spot.
There is only one other opportunity for Connacht in that scenario - they must win the URC. That would give them the seventh spot, currently held by South African’s Lions, who also finished on the 54 points, but with one less defeat.
That, of course, is a tough ask as Connacht now face league leaders Glasgow away in the quarter-final, not to mention the other current top seeds such as Leinster and Stormers who would be expected to prevail in their fixtures.
It would be a huge disappointment for Connacht if denied Champions Cup rugby, particularly having chased down the victory in Scotland to make the last eight. In that scenario, they may well look back at some of their losses, such as the 14-8 defeat to Cardiff in the third round, and a hugely disappointing result in Wales, losing 48-28 to Dragons.
However, the gap is certainly closing in the URC - the difference between leaders Glasgow and Connacht in eighth is 11 points, which shows Connacht's increasing growth in the competition. And now Connacht will face the Scottish outfit in the quarter-finals which take place on May 29 in Scotstoun Stadium.
Connacht captain Cian Prendergast says his team deserved the win over Edinburgh.
“We worked so hard. I don’t think we were at our best, but you can’t fault our endeavour, effort, and defence,” he said. “We have a brilliant group of players, and confidence in our group is building.”
Lancaster, who has masterminded Connacht’s rise this season, said although it was not Connacht’s greatest game “by a long way”, Connacht defended for 70 per cent of the game, and “hung in there”.
“In the second half it paid off. We do a lot of work on our defence, so to restrict them to one try was amazing really.”
Lancaster, in his first season at Dexcom, says the foundations from last season were strong, but he has “moved the dial in terms of mindset in defence and attack”.
And now he takes Connacht to Scotstoun - a familiar stadium where his son Dan currently plays.
“We will need to be at our very best. They did well against Toulon and are top of the URC table, it’s the hardest challenge we face,” he said.
However, with the team in form and with momentum, he believes Connacht can prevail.
“We want to be in Champions Cup for sure. We want to get a Bordeaux or a Toulouse in Dexcom next season. It’s out of our control, but what we will control this week is training hard.”
End of season awards
Last weekend, Connacht celebrated their seasonal awards for the first time at a glittering green Dexcom Stadium.
The special Lifetime Achievement was awarded to John Carr, who joined his local club Tuam in 1974, and then spent more than 50 years involved, as a player, head groundsmen, coach, Connacht Branch delegate, and chairperson of Connacht Rugby's Adult Competitions Committee for 14 years. He became Connacht president 2011/12 and won the prestigious Mr Boots Award for volunteering and the IRFU’s Spirit Of Rugby Volunteer Award 2022/23. As the deputy chief steward, John Carr is one of the longest serving match-day volunteers at Dexcom.
Carr said: “I made so many friends during and after playing rugby. I cannot stress how much it meant to me as a human being to make contact with other people. You go out the pitch, hammer each other, and then go into the club and put the arms around each other - that for me is rugby.”
The Connacht award winners: U18 Men's Player of the Year, Dara Walsh; U18 Women's Player of the Year, Roisin O'Sullivan; U19 Men's Player of the Year, Leo Anic; Academy Player of the Year, Billy Bohan; Men's Junior Club Player of the Year, Calum Quinn; Men's Senior Club Player of the Year, Dylan Keane; Women's Club Player of the Year, Ursula Sammon; Referee of the Year, David Burke; Coach of the Year, Brendan Guilfoyle; School of the Year, Marist College; Club of the Year, Creggs RFC; Try of the Year, Hannah Clarke v Ulster; Fan's Player of the Year, Cian Prendergast; Women's Player of the Year, Éabha Nic Dhonnacha; Men's Player of the Year, Sean Jansen; Unsung Hero, Liz Brady; Lifetime Achievement, John Carr.
