JACK CARTY, CONNACHT’S all-time top scorer, contemplated leaving this summer after struggling for game-time but a combination of factors persuaded him to stay on for at least another year with his native province.

It’s the first time the 32-year-old has signed a contract extension without knowing who his head coach will be, but he’s happy to take his chances after deciding to stay.

Cian Prendergast, who took over the captaincy from him at the start of the season, was central to the decision after guiding Carty through the spanking new High Performance Centre which opened this week, but more important was the way the out-half took the opportunity when given a chance in South Africa, not least his display against the Stormers.

That was only his seventh appearance of the season and only the second time he had completed 80 minutes. Carty’s previous full game was a man of the match display in a Challenge Cup victory in Perpignan before Christmas but that didn’t lead to more game-time and 58 minutes against Ulster and eight against Glasgow were all he saw until he got a chance against the Stormers in a narrow defeat.

Any wonder the Roscommon native was considering interest from elsewhere? In the previous three seasons he had played 17, 16 and 21 games.

“Last season, we had it in our hands against Leinster but threw in the towel quite early. We want to be in a position to sneak in this time even though it’s against the odds,” Carty said of Connacht’s chances at reaching the URC play-offs.

“When you were going five, six, seven weeks without a game, it definitely comes into your head and you always do have a look. I suppose it’s probably the least amount I’ve played in my time in Connacht, so getting the bit of game-time in South Africa and, I think, showing that I still have the ability to play at this level, gave myself a massive boost.

“Because when you’re not playing for an extended period of time, the doubt does eventually start to creep in. But I think particularly in the Stormers game, to be able to give the performance I did, I was pleased and happy with that.”

Head coach Pete Wilkins has already left and attack coach Mark Sexton is heading to Ulster in a few weeks. JJ Hanrahan, who featured in eight games in succession when he returned from injury in January up to the South African trip, is heading back to Munster, leaving Carty battling it out with Kiwi Josh Ioane, academy prospect Sean Naughton and a couple of versatile players such as Cathal Forde and David Hawkshaw, for the no.10 shirt next season.

“I think what I suppose it came to was, look, I’m not going to be playing rugby for X amount of years. I probably would have next year and see how the body is. I think the main thing is that I felt that I can still add to the environment here through the performances that I suppose I gave when I did have the opportunity to play.

“I think then, getting married in the summer, obviously the HPC coming in and kind of when everything was up in the air a couple of weeks ago, Prendo brought me in to see the HPC and I was really like, ‘Can I really be anywhere else with the facilities that are here?’

“I’ve trained in a four-by-four square metre gym before the Clan Stand and before any of the current facilities were here. So it would have been a shame to not have the opportunity to be in the place where we are now. It’s absolutely phenomenal.

“So when it all came down to it, when the contract was there, I was going to always sign up,” said Carty, who has been capped 11 times by Ireland and was in the 2019 World Cup squad.

He has chalked up 1,277 points for Connacht since coming through the academy at the Sportsground and with the €40m redevelopment of what is now Dexcom Stadium due to be completed next January when the new stand is open, Carty is hopeful that he will be producing on the field.