Connacht’s Lam urges Ireland’s young fringe players to try their luck out West
Connacht have long had to make a virtue of their more straitened circumstances by scouring the domestic and global waters for catches that have been overlooked by the game’s bigger predators.
On Saturday, they fielded a side with three of the Lansdowne team that claimed the Ulster Bank League title last season, a posse of youngsters from their own academy and others attracted from the fringes of the pro game.
With Robbie Henshaw off to international camp, James So’oialo returning to New Zealand and a run of injuries at hooker, back row and centre in particular, they will be dipping their rods in the sea again should finances allow.
“There are a lot of players there around the other provinces playing B&I Cup that could be showing what they could do [at the highest level],” said the Connacht coach after a narrow Pro12 defeat to Leinster at the RDS.
“That’s the pleasing thing, guys who get opportunities to play. Craig Ronaldson is from this area and wasn’t looked at and wasn’t in the academy. We identified him and gave him his opportunity and he has gone from strength to strength. That shows if you truly want to be a quality player and play for Ireland then you have to be playing week in and week out, not playing B&I Cup. There’s a challenge to guys out there because guys in Connacht have shown what they can do.”
Lam stressed the point that it had nothing to do with the IRFU and policies but with the “ambition” of players after a summer in which Connacht were reportedly turned down by a number of younger players in the other provinces.
The Connacht boss turned to his native New Zealand for proof of what can happen when young players are encouraged to pack their bags in search of regular game time.
Lam pointed to the examples of men such as the Chiefs’ 21-year-old Sam Cane and the Blues’ 22-year-old Steven Luatua who are now pulling up trees in the All Blacks back row.
“They have got to make some decisions,” said Lam of Ireland‘s next generation. “Do they seriously want to play at the next level and be a quality international player for Ireland? Then they have got to prove that.
“Kieron Marmion and Robbie [Henshaw) — if they were not at Connacht they would be in an academy somewhere but they are showing what they can do week in and week out and that’s why Robbie is in the Irish [squad].
“He would not be in the Irish team and Kieran would not even be in the frame — he would be potentially be in B&I Cup. Look at Brett Wilkinson and Rodney Ah You. We lost Nathan White and those two have been superb.”
Lam was left frustrated after his side’s narrow defeat in Dublin, particularly with a penalty count that finished 19-8 against the visitors, who had two me sent to the sin-bin inside the final 10 minutes.
“Probably the most frustrating thing is a lot of calls from the sidelines. When you play a European Cup I’ve got no problem with people who referee at this level making some calls.
“But to have people who don’t even ref at this level to be making some big calls is a big challenge and that’s something we need to look at.”
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