‘Mad professor’ Kieran Keane happy with Connacht chemistry

Of all the difficulties about settling into his new life in Galway, new Connacht coach Kieran Keane hardly envisaged he would get a ribbing about hurling, but his disclosure yesterday that he is of Waterford blood should ensure he will hear plenty about the All-Ireland final in the coming weeks.

The New Zealander, who arrived in Galway last week to take over from Pat Lam, has to go back a few generations to find his Irish ancestry but he reckons he is a Déise man.

Of more concern is the lineage of the Connacht squad he has taken charge of — what he has seen so far has pleased him, even if there is a fair bit of work to get through before the season kick-off at home to Glasgow Warriors.