Veteran star Swift ready to let loose on Toulouse

ANYONE who doubted Michael Swift’s ability to last the pace and stay the course with Connacht would be red-faced as the big lock forward gets ready to square up to European heavyweights Toulouse at the Sportsgrounds on Saturday.

Swift is undoubtedly one of the great survivors and can boast that he has seen off such quality and long-lasting former playing colleagues as Eric Elwood, Dan McFarland, Tim Allnutt and Conor McPhillips.

It might be funny apart from the fact that all have graduated “upstairs”: Elwood is now head coach, McFarland his assistant, Allnutt is team manager and McPhillips is video analyst.

Born in Fulham, Swift was around when Connacht players and supporters took the bold, but ultimately successful, decision to march in protest on the Irish Rugby Football Union offices in Dublin 4.

It might not have been welcomed by the blazers but the IRFU plans to cut the professional game in the west were overturned, thanks to the likes of Swift and his current colleagues Gavin Duffy, Johnny O’Connor and John Muldoon, amongst many thousands more.

Indeed had they not made that brave move it is probable that Swift would have moved away from Galway and wouldn’t now be in the position of making his home Heineken Cup debut against one of the best clubs in the world, not to mind Europe.

The 34-year old is Connacht’s most capped player and in Connacht’s 100th European adventure, he will make his 206th appearance (including Magners and Rabo Direct league ties).

Swift is looking forward to the experience and confident that Connacht will make their mark.

Despite defeat against English Premiership runaway leaders Harlequins last week, Swift believes his team will take huge encouragement from their display.

Swift said: “We went there [to the Stoop] with huge belief, we genuinely felt we could win that game and that is why there was such disappointment afterwards.

“But now we have to turn our attention to Toulouse.

“Of course it is a huge day for Connacht and one which some people obviously thought would never happen.”

He added: “But it is a special place here. It is instilled in you early when you come here what the place is about, what people are trying to achieve and the obstacles which have to be overcome.

“Guys have a lot of belief in their own ability and there is a huge desire to make progress and build on the progress so far.”