Connacht are preparing for a “backs-against-the wall” Italian challenge against Benetton in the face of their fast-fading United Rugby Championship ambitions.
However unlikely it is that Andy Friend’s side can reach the top eight, Connacht are in desperate need to post a victory ahead of their back-to-back Champions Cup fixtures against Leinster.
Having shipped 101 points in their previous two games against Edinburgh and Leo Cullen’s outfit, while only registering eight in each, Connacht’s season appears to have come off the rails. And if the performance in the Scottish capital was a surprise, Friend says a repeat against Leinster at the Sportsground was down to “controllables” – a missed touch and a red card within the opening three minutes. Now it is not only Champions Cup rugby next season that is at stake, but pride.
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- March 30, 2022
