LEINSTER’S NEW SCRUM coach might just find a sense of nostalgia about the Sportsground this Friday night.
Marco Caputo was part of the Wallaby squad that stopped by Galway to sample the unique experience of the Sportsground in a post World Cup tour in 1995. And though the green and gold came away with victory, Caputo’s memory sticks on the tougher elements of the day.
“I think that was the last full tour of the UK and Ireland. We had a wet and windy day down in Galway and if my memory serves me correctly, they scored a try off a 14-man line-out and they were pretty happy with that.
“Fortunately, we got the chocolates that day, but they were pretty happy to score a try with that revolutionary 14-man line-out.”
Much has changed in rugby since 1995, professionalism has taken hold, men like Caputo are deemed too lightweight for the front row and Connacht (at this precise moment) are currently Ireland’s leading province in the Pro12.
Some changes, however, require more time.
“I think they really rely on the underdog status in Irish rugby. They use the fact that they like to perceive themselves as the little brother,” smiles Caputo.
Having been impressed by the sight of their set-piece deciding a tough away fixture in Murrayfield, the new coach is in no doubt that Connacht will again throw everything they have at the opposition. And these days that’s much more than just ‘plucky’ courage and a ‘brave’ refusal to roll over and take a beating.
“They’ve been impressive, two from two. They were impressive last week against Edinburgh away – they were in a scrap and they wrestled their way out of it. Probably a year or two ago they might have lost that game. From watching them, there’s a real intent there to play positively, laterally and up-tempo.
“You can see the New Zealand influence there with Pat Lam. For the most part they’ve been very good at it. For us, this week is about making sure we recover well and make sure we put in the right amount of work so we’re not walking in to an ambush – we’ve got to make sure we prepare mentally and we’re up for a scrap on Friday night.”
