Ultan Dillane hopes Connacht will be springboard for Irish ambitions

By John Fallon

Connacht lock Ultan Dillane says that his primary task is performing for the province rather than dwelling on trying to get back into the Irish squad.

The 24-year old was not included in the touring party to Australia and with James Ryan becoming a first-choice player and Tadhg Beirne now in the Irish fold after his move to Munster, Dillane knows it will be harder than ever to get a spot.

But he is hopeful that impressive displays for a Connacht side which seems to be reinvigorated after a pre-season with new coach Andy Friend will lead to him adding to his 11 Irish caps. He won his last cap against Fiji last November — it was only his second Irish start — and while he was in the squad for the Six Nations he didn’t see game-time.

“It’s always at the back of your mind but it is not the only goal,” said the Paris born and Kerry raised lock who is heading into his fifth season with Connacht. “I have to play well with Connacht first and hopefully do well in the province before anything like that.”

A shoulder injury which ended his 2016-17 season in March saw him miss the tour to the USA and Japan last summer but Joe Schmidt drafted him for the autumn internationals. And after a season which saw him chalk up 20 games for Connacht, 14 of them in the league, he is raring to go after a good pre-season which saw them defeat Brive, Wasps and Pat Lam’s Bristol.

I am definitely looking forward to the start of the new season,” said Dillane, who produced a big display in the 14-12 win over big-spending Bristol on Friday night.

“Obviously we knew it would be a big challenge against Bristol but we are happy to have done well in that and the other pre-season games.

“We know what’s in store next week against Glasgow, certainly after how last season started and we were just hoping to get building during pre-season and we think we have just done that.”

Four of Connacht’s opening five games are at the Sportsground which gives them a chance to build momentum with a new coach but it also leaves them facing an uphill battle for the season if they don’t get the results in these games against Glasgow, Zebre, Scarlets and Leinster.

That brings its own pressure but we see it as an opportunity as well to start off on the right foot and hopefully lead to finish off the month well with a few wins.

“We have had a few good battles with Glasgow in recent years and everyone just wants to get back to that form of a couple of seasons ago.

“It’s step by step but it has gone well over the last few weeks with three good wins but let’s not get carried away with ourselves either.

“It’s a different challenge this weekend, we know how Glasgow have been over the last few seasons and how they will be next weekend.

“We have an idea of the physicality they will bring next weekend and we will get ourselves ready for that and hopefully produce a good performance,” he added.