LONG READ 'You just want to be in the fight': Lancaster's selection juggles as Connacht rejoin the top table

After 33 months away from the Champions Cup top table, Connacht are back. On their last Galway outing in the competition in January 2024, they defeated Bristol Bears 27-10 to give themselves brief hope of slipping into the last 16. Ultimately, they missed out and spent the next two seasons chasing the Challenge Cup.

Connacht recovered from a slow start last season to finish eighth in the United Rugby Championship standings, pipping Ulster to the final Champions Cup spot. They return to the competition with renewed hope. The current squad has 16 Ireland internationals (of varying vintage), a host of young talent, Lancaster in charge and a new-look, increased capacity stadium.

At the beginning of last season, Sean Jansen – one of those freshly minted Ireland players – stated Connacht had top-four talent in the URC and top-four ambitions. The Westerners fell short of that, but there is absolutely no shame in aiming high. Coming into this campaign, Lancaster’s side were being talked up as the best Irish bet behind Leinster’s full house. Like last season, however, they stumbled from the starting blocks.

The Stormers arrived at Dexcom Stadium in late September and bullied their hosts. Connacht righted the ship with an away win over Benetton but fell to Glasgow last weekend and left Scotstoun empty-handed when two points were there for the taking. Lancaster spoke of optimistic pre-season predictions from reporters and pundits as if everyone had lost the run of themselves. Connacht are not in desperate need of a win, but it is handy Saturday’s game against Saracens has ‘swing for the fences’ written all over it.

The atmosphere at Dexcom Stadium – an enlarged and improved Sportsground – should be piping hot. The competition’s scheduling quirk this season sees every team get an opening round crack before rivalries resume in early December. Following this game, they face a Zebre Parma side rock bottom of the league with zero wins from three and a points differential of -64.

The only thing holding Connacht back is a by-product of their recent success in developing Test players. The province has six extra Ireland internationals since the summer of 2025, and also brought in Ciarán Frawley and Will Connors. Under IRFU rules, Ireland players may only play four games in a row before a mandatory rest. Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen, who have featured in Connacht’s first three matches, have not been selected for the visit of Saracens. Young talents Finn Treacy and Matthew Victory are among those entrusted with starts, while Ireland U20s’ Daniel Ryan provides backline cover from the bench.

Monitoring game time is not limited to players on central contracts, 60% funded by the IRFU. Any player regularly involved in the Ireland set-up has their minutes managed. It is then up to the coaches at each province to plan around the restrictions. Conscious of games coming up against the likes of Glasgow, Saracens and Leinster, Lancaster and his staff sought to make lemonade from lemons. It meant they went into their season opener without Jansen, Frawley, Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Cian Prendergast. It was a calculated gamble that did not pay off.

We have more people chomping at the bit to play. We have Finn Treacy, who has been excellent this season, or Shane Jennings. One person that has not had a mention so far but had an excellent pre-season is Daniel Ryan.

Hansen, Bealham, Prendergast, Jansen and Frawley will almost have to be dragged away from the field, such is their eagerness to make an impression for club and country. “To be fair,” said Lancaster, speaking before his team was announced, “for someone like Mack, I really understand it because of the injury he had. We have more people chomping at the bit to play. We have Finn Treacy, who has been excellent this season, or Shane Jennings. One person that has not had a mention so far but had an excellent pre-season is Daniel Ryan. He was one of the standouts for Ireland Under-20s and he’s someone I want to give experience to. I understand it. You can’t play every player, every game between now and the end of the season.

“At the end of last season because we had a smallish squad, we had to play people like Sam Gilbert all the time. It caught up with him towards the end with that toe injury. So, you’ve got to look after your squad. One of the benefits of having a bigger squad is that you can rotate, and you can give lads opportunities without weakening your own team.”

Connacht may not be leaning on as many of their frontliners as expected this weekend. Zebre seemed the likelier proving ground for the likes of Treacy, Jennings, and Victory to stake a claim for the big interpro against Leinster but each is given an opportunity against the English heavyweights.

“It’s huge, really,” Lancaster said of the match. “We fought hard to get back in the Champions Cup and we’ve been rewarded with an amazing pool. I know them very well through my time with England and at Leinster. Played against them in the (2019) Champions Cup final.

“I know a lot of their coaching staff well. I would have coached a few of the players who are still there. We’ve watched their progress with Brendan Venter coming back in and the influence he has. Then, there’s what Mark McCall did when he was there. It’s a serious challenge.”

Asked by another reporter if he would consider using the Champions Cup to blood ‘younger players’, Lancaster shut that down. “You’d be a brave coach to do that when you’re up against Toulouse, La Rochelle, Saracens and Exeter. You don’t want to weaken your team and not take the competition seriously. I would never believe in that. I don’t think any Connacht supporter would support that.

“I understand your point about Zebre and Leinster but I see Saracens as just as important. Rest assured we’ve already got plans in place to make sure we turn the page quickly from Saracens into Zebre. We need to be smart about how we coach, but we also need to put our best foot forward in Europe… You just want to be in the fight, don’t you? You want to be in the fight.”