Bundee Aki over the worst, insists Pat Lam

Pat Lam is confident that talisman Bundee Aki has all but shaken off the worst effects of a recent calf injury as the province looks to improve on a fitful start to the season.

The powerhouse centre picked up the problem during the thrilling six-point defeat of Ulster at the Sportsground at the start of October and it has hampered his preparations since.

It promoted the Connacht coach to leave him on the bench for the duration of the Champions Cup game away to Zebre.

Aki, who had started the week before against Toulouse, was again stationed on the sideline for the start of Saturday’s Guinness PRO12 encounter with Leinster at the RDS before an injury to Craig Ronaldson forced his entry on 19 minutes.

“The good thing now is he is 100% even if he wasn’t fully able to train during the week,” said Lam.

“But he will be ready to go for next week and then obviously there is the break (with the international break).”

Aki wasn’t the only player who looked in need of time to rest at the weekend.

The league champions were uncharacteristically sloppy in their execution and a good number seemed to be blowing harder than usual as the first block of PRO12 games approaches its end next weekend.

Lam didn’t give that theory much airtime. Nor the suggestion that the turning point in this game seemed to coincide with the departure of Ronaldson and a perceived loss of shape in the visiting ranks.

Leinster’s aggression and speed in defence was acknowledged as being superior to the pairs’ meeting in last May’s seasonal final, so too their zealousness at the breakdown, but Lam couldn’t look far past Connacht’s own basic shortcomings.

“There is no doubt their defence and linespeed is a lot better, but I still felt even in that first 20 (minutes) that if we executed we could have got through. And we did a couple of times, but again, someone would lose the ball.

“We’d open them up and get in behind the lines, then someone would knock the ball on or lose the ball at the breakdown and then all that pressure was gone.

“They get a chance and it brings their forward pack back into the game with a lineout or scrum.”