CONNACHT WILL HAVE to plan without Bundee Aki as they look to continue their strong run of form when they travel to take on Leinster on Friday.
The centre is still recovering from a knee problem picked up during Ireland’s November internationals, and will not make the trip to the RDS. However Connacht will be able to call on the services of Cian Prendergast, who missed the wins over the Ospreys and Ulster through injury.
And Connacht attack coach Pete Wilkins has urged the province to build on their recent strong showings as they prepare to take on Leo Cullen’s Leinster.
Andy Friend’s side impressed against the Ospreys last Friday, delivering a superb attacking performance despite challenging conditions at the Sportsground. They also shone on their last visit to Dublin, beating Ulster 36-11 at the Aviva Stadium before the November international break.
And Wilkins says Connacht will need to improve again if they are to take another big scalp this weekend, with Leinster keen to get back on track following their own defeat to Ulster last Saturday.
“I think what Ulster did well was they brought an enormous amount of physicality and energy in everything they did,” Wilkins said.
When there were positive moments for them they built on them with more positive moments. When they had their own speed bumps in the game and Leinster had the moments – which you expect them to do at home – they found a way to bounce back from it quickly, and let go of that negative phase and reassert themselves on the game and generate their own momentum.
“From that point of view that physicality and energy that Ulster brought enabled them to do both of those things pretty well.
“For us, one thing we know we’re never lacking when we play interpros, but particularly Leinster, is the energy and excitement of the occasion. I think the determination in those games, whether it’s the provincial identity or rivalry, or international selection, there’s no shortage of motivation or incentive in the game.
“The important bit for us is to focus on what we can control and do well. Historically – we’d be the first to acknowledge it – Connacht would have had an emotional yo-yo between different types of opposition. That Ospreys game just gone was incredibly important for us. On the back of that Ulster performance (in October), albeit with a bit of break, we needed to show we were no longer chained to the opposition in terms of how we enabled the mindset for that game.
“It will be a step up this week, and we have to embrace that and be grateful that it’s Leinster bringing that test, and no better opposition for us to see where we’re at in terms of the growth of the game on the back of that Ospreys performance.”
