Heart and soul all part of Lam’s plan for Connacht
Having arrived in Galway last week, the incoming Connacht coach says it is not difficult to put everything into his new role now he understands what the province is about.
“If you don’t know the vision, you will struggle. It’s more than just a game. That’s where the passion comes in. You are there for the people, the province, and how much it means to people. Once you understand that, then you are willing to give it everything, but you need to know where you are heading first and foremost.”
Lam is grateful to Eric Elwood for this period of transition before officially taking over the coaching reins on June 1.
“It’s a mark of the man. His blood is Connacht and this is an unusual situation, but it is possible because everyone believes it is best for Connacht rugby. Eric and myself only met for the first time this week, but the key thing is that we have total respect for each other and what each has achieved. We have a real passion for Connacht to succeed and we love the game of rugby.”
As a player Lam led by example, and that is mirrored in his coaching philosophy that is built on team spirit.
“Rugby is the greatest team game ever,” he enthuses. “All our goals, both players and fans, are only achievable with the team. We have no current internationals next season compared to the other three provinces and we are not the most resourced compared to others, but what we do have here is a history of fighting for everything. We come from a history of being the underdog. We have no rock stars and we rely on each other and that’s why we play week-in week-out — it comes back to heart and playing as a team,” he says.
“When you look at Connacht they are punching above their weight, but a lot has gone on behind the scenes to establish that. We need to keep that momentum going and my role is to make sure this team is giving everything it can to be as successful as it can — to give heart and soul to ensure we have the best chance of winning.”
Although sacked from the Blues job after a poor season last year, Lam, a man of faith, looked at the positive.
“I joined a lot of top coaches around the world to be sacked, and I said to my kids, ‘exciting times, God has a new adventure for us’.”
