Connacht going in right direction

Nothing ever comes easy for Connacht. Their constant battle for recognition and the right to sit as an equal partner with the other three provinces in the eyes of the IRFU has raged for over a century.

The advent of professionalism has intensified that fight, especially as the governing body gave serious consideration to cutting them adrift as a professional identity in 2003.

That is why a derby against Munster, Leinster or Ulster always carries even more resonance for the westerners, especially when one of the big three roll up in Galway. So, you can imagine the disappointment in the administrative office of Connacht rugby last Thursday when, with a sell-out crowd just short of 8,000 posted well in advance of the New Year’s Day visit of Munster, the heavens opened all day to accompany the gale-force Atlantic winds that swept into the heart of the stadium.