Duffy: we’re ready to show Toulon best of the west

AT A time when rugby is growing in Connacht at a rate of knots, new clubs springing up in the most unlikely of places, new schools taking part – and winning – in the old cup competitions, does it make a whit of sense anymore to treat Connacht like a second-class citizen, to deny them equal funding with the other three provinces?

This year, on the field, Connacht have given us a glimpse of what things would be like if they were given a fair crack of the whip. On their current budget, they simply can’t afford the strength in depth of the likes of Munster and Leinster, so their league form – a test of stamina – suffers accordingly, which explains their current lowly position; with some astute recruiting at home and abroad, however, they can field one hell of a competitive cup-type team. Full-back for Connacht is Gavin Duffy, a Ballina boy, and with the IRFU still looking west with a very jaundiced eye, he’s more conscious than most of the significance of this game.

“Even in the time I left to go to Harlequins (2003-06) and now, there’s been a huge difference, massive growth. Young kids wearing Connacht jerseys, Connacht hoodies, clubs in places like Barna, Oughterard, the Gaeltacht – there are more and more kids looking to play the game. The school out in Oranmore have won the last three Junior Cups, more and more new schools and new clubs prospering every year.