INTER-PROVINCIAL A matches carry only as much currency as you invest in them. And Andy Friend laid a fair chunk of good silverware on the table last weekend under the Eagles banner against Munster A.
The southern province played a strong hand themselves, but to lose 49-12 a week from the beginning of a new season was a painful watch for Friend.
“I was really surprised, really disappointed,” said the Australian.
“If we rock up to any team with that sort of attitude then we’re going to walk away with our tails between our legs.”
A suspected concussion for Ultan Dillane added injury to the insult, but as he prepares to welcome Glasgow to an empty Sportsground on Saturday (kick-off 17.15), Friend signalled that he won’t accept a similar drop off in intensity over the weeks ahead.
He laments that he did not see the performance coming as they suffered a third straight defeats to a Munster side in various guises. The Pro14 encounter was easily written off due to two red cards, the first inter-pro match was a close-run thing, but to ship 49 points was an utterly deflating watch.
“I know we’ve got the talent. To me it’s not a talent thing, to me it’s a mental thing.
We talked to the players about being confident, clear and calm about your role. Did we do that last week? No. And we didn’t have that fight and hunger which to me is synonymous about a Connacht jersey.
“We didn’t give up, but we were guilty of not working hard enough on Saturday. That’s just so foreign to us.”
The western province’s efforts to bounce back would no doubt be aided by the presence of a battle-hardened, homegrown stalwart Eoin McKeon yesterday announced his retirement from rugby at the age of 29.
“He’s a great team man and a very talented footballer. He’s a Galway man, Connacht pride themselves on their homegrown players, and he’s certainly left a legacy there in terms of what he’s contributed to Connacht rugby,” said Friend.
“It’s always sad when you see somebody choosing to hang up their boots when you still believe he’s got something there to show.
“But Eoin obviously has had a lot of time to think about that, he’s an intelligent man off the field and I know he has big aspirations for life after rugby too so I’m sure he’s going to be fine.
“He can walk away very proud of what he has given ro Connacht Rugby.”
