Weather-beaten Lam admits defeat

Pat Lam is meticulous in his preparation for every game but the Connacht coach is starting to concede that there is one area he will not master — trying to guess the weather at the Sportsground on match day.

Lam admitted they get the weather forecast for kick-off for each game and try to base their tactics on what might unfold — a key decision might be whether or not to play with the wind.

But, given that the venue is notorious for the weather changing each hour, Lam admitted that it is proving a difficult task! They can spend a lot of time agonising over whether to take wind advantage but Lam said that it is now often a relief if the other side win the toss.

“If we do get the choice then we work out what the forecast is or if it is going to change, whether it is raining, all those factors are taken into account and we make that call. We have an idea and we confirm it before the toss.

“But the one thing you can’t guarantee is that it won’t change. It can change fast. Sometimes it is better not to win the toss and it’s not your decision,’ said Lam.

The former Samoan skipper and Heineken Cup winner with Northampton Saints said he first saw the diverse conditions at the exposed and elevated Galway venue when he started looking at Connacht dvds last year when he was bidding to become Eric Elwood’s successor.

Leinster, who come to the Sportsground on Saturday, have endured some horrendous days at the College Road venue and have been turned over on four of their ten league visits, including last year’s 34-6 hammering.

But Connacht No.8 Eoin McKeon dispelled the notion that Connacht prefer tough conditions and said that they dislike the wind and rain as much as the visiting teams. However, the 22-year old from Galway city he said they were probably a bit more accustomed to the conditions.

“Hopefully the weather will be better this weekend. We have had bad luck with the last two homes matches with the wind and the hail and the worst possible conditions.

“We much prefer dry and calm conditions, especially with Pat Lam’s game plan. It suits us to have dry weather. We don’t like the soggy pitches and the heavy going. It just takes away from the game, for the spectators as well as it is not good rugby to watch.

“It is more about getting the job done than enjoying the rugby you are playing and we have shown we do better when the weather is good. Last year when we played Leinster it was one of the nicest evenings of the season, a dry ball, and we threw the ball around probably more than them,” said McKeon.

However, it looks like another tough night at the office on Saturday with rain and winds of 50km/h forecast — at least for the opening half of the game.