CONNACHT DIRECTOR OF rugby Andy Friend has made it clear that the focus in his final season at the Sportsground is a having successful United Rugby Championship in order to secure Champions Cup rugby next year.
He has, as expected, selected an understrength side for their opening game against Newcastle Falcons at the Sportsground today (5.30pm) as Connacht kick off their 20th campaign in the Challenge Cup, and he will do the same in Brive next week as their pre-Christmas URC game against Ulster takes precedence.
His four summer signings from Leinster — Adam Byrne, David Hawkshaw, Peter Dooley and Josh Murphy — start together for the first time.
All five Irish internationals — Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham and Cian Prendergast — are left out of the squad
“Every team that’s in the Challenge Cup doesn’t want to be in it,” said Friend. “You want to be in the Champions Cup and you want to prove that you don’t belong here in the Challenge Cup.
“We know we belong in the Champions Cup but we are not there this year. But we need to make the best showing we can in the Challenge Cup. That’s our attitude going into it.
“Every time you enter a competition you’ve got to have the belief that you can win it. What we are saying at the moment is we want to reach the knockout stages. We know in order to do that we need to win three, maybe all four of our games.
“For us to get back into the Champions Cup next season our focus is going to be on URC. That’s our bread and butter.”
That said, Friend knows this is an opportunity for fringe players to show their wares, not just his own charges but there is also an unknown element to the opposition.
“The Challenge Cup is different. Coaches are going to give players opportunity and you don’t know what to expect,” added Friend.
“Those young fellows might have been sitting there for two or three years waiting for a chance and they go and deliver. We have done it ourself and that brings a different flavour to it too. There is always talent unearthed in the Challenge Cup.”
Connacht: T O’Halloran; A Byrne, T Daly, C Forde, D Kilgallen; D Hawkshaw, C Blade; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; J Murphy, N Murray; J Butler (c), S Hurley-Langton, P Boyle. Replacements: S Delahunt, D Buckley, S Illo, S Fifita, O McCormack, C Reilly, C Fitzgerald, T Farrell.
Newcastle Falcons: A Tait; A Radwan, M Moroni, T Penny (c), N Earle; T Schoerman, S Stuart; C Cade, J Blamire, M Tampin; G Peterson, S De Chaves; M Dalton, T Marshall, C Chick. Replacements: C Maddison, A Brocklebank, R Palframan, J Peters, M Tiffen, J Barton, J Thomas, E Greenlaw.
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