I Connacht Believe It: How Did ‘The Crap Ones in Green’ Win the PRO12?
Lee Calvert raises a toast to Connacht, the Irish battlers who defied the odds to lift the PRO12 trophy at Murrayfield on the weekend.
Anybody who has paid any attention to the Ireland rugby team in the past half-decade or so will have heard of a number of players involved in the PRO12 final played at Murrayfield this weekend. Jamie Heaslip, Jonny Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Sean O’Brien and Rob Kearney – all of them internationals and British Lions tourists, and all of them turned out for Leinster.
Here’s a few more names: John Muldoon, Tiernan O’Halloran, Matt Healy, Aly Muldowney, Kieran Marmion and Niyi Adeolokun. Unless you are into rugby on a borderline mental disorder level, then it is unlikely that these names will have pricked your consciousness. And yet it was these players, playing for Connacht, who beat their more fêted opponents 20-10 to lift the 2016 PRO12 title. It was the kind of win that left even neutral fans grinning and full of hope, feeling like our game can still be a wonderful thing.
How is this possible? Given Connacht’s resources it really shouldn’t be.
For many years, if you asked a person to name the Irish provincial teams the answer would have been something like “Munster, Leinster, er, Ulster and the other one, you know, the crap ones in green.” Connacht are from the west of Ireland, a region with little history of rugby success and a small population of which the majority prefer Gaelic Football or Hurling, with rugby featuring as a niche interest akin to Scandinavian crime thrillers or abstract modern jazz. But like fans of those two things, Connacht Rugby fans are committed, vociferous and admirably determined in the face of any and all detractors. This was a glorious weekend for their travelling army.
Their home stadium, Galway Sportgrounds (capacity 7,500), is perched next to the sea, giving the impression that they play their home matches at the end of the earth or on a more charming version of the Game of Thrones Iron Islands. As a result the gate income is like a poorly behaved child’s pocket money. The Irish Rugby Football Union also treat the province like their most troublesome offspring by giving them roughly half the money of the other three. This leaves Connacht with very little cash to splash on players, hence the fact that you haven’t heard of many of them as they either develop their own or hoover up players who have been let go by other clubs.
The Galway men nearly went out of business in 2003 after the IRFU looked to shut them down in a cost-cutting exercise, with only the actions of their vociferous fans preventing this from happening. Thus not only are they financially hamstrung, the organisation has also had to suffer as the IRFU allow and often encourage their most high profile players to leave. Internationals Ian Keatley (Munster), Sean Cronin and Mike McCarthy (both Leinster) all started at Connacht. Even after this fantastic win, their marquee player, centre Robbie Henshaw, is off to Dublin to line up for Leinster with the IRFU’s blessing.
However, there is one thing, or more specifically, one person, that has led the “F-you!” campaign against the lack of money, the IRFU’s lack of support and the tiny player base: their coach Pat Lam.
Lam has brought with him a quiet assurance and no small amount of skill and experience to give this team belief in a style of play that is equal parts bewitching and tough. This was never more evident than in the performance in the final as Connacht played with craft and verve in attack and blood and guts in defence. All over the park their players showed the best of what they are: Aly Muldowney, a tough lock who redefines the role by often playing comfortably at first receiver; Bundee Aki, the wrecking ball at 12 whose offloads defy logic; Matt Healy, an outside back cast off by Leinster who is coruscating, dazzling and often irresistible; Tiernan O’Halloran, a rapier fullback; Niyi Adeolokun, a lightning fast Nigerian-born wing who looks too wiry and thin but is stronger than a Tibetan Sherpa; and John Muldoon, the captain and lifetime Connacht man who gave all he had before weeping at the final whistle.
Leinster’s experienced internationals simply could not cope and there has never been a more popular winner than the traditional “crap ones in green.” Even Leinster fans and players were generous in their praise of their victors.
More than anything, Connacht and Pat Lam made us all fall in love with rugby a little but more, and for that we should be grateful. Many of their players will become better-known; hopefully not because they’ve transferred elsewhere. Holding this wonderful team together will be the province’s toughest battle yet.
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments