Dave Heffernan hopeful Connacht can continue winning form

It’s turning out to be a season of noticeable achievements for Connacht, and now stand-in skipper Dave Heffernan is hopeful they can continue their winning form when they head to Leinster on Saturday.

Connacht will head to the home of the PRO14 and European champions on the back of a five-match winning run and having won in Belfast earlier this season for the first time in half a century, they are hopeful of a rare win in Dublin.

Connacht have only won once in the professional era in Dublin, but victory on Saturday would constitute their second-longest winning run and take them within two of the record they achieved under Pat Lam three seasons ago.

Heffernan said confidence is high at The Sportsground, but while they stretched their winning run with a 36-21 success in Perpignan on Friday night, he knows they face much tougher opposition against the three Irish provinces in the coming weeks.

“There is serious competition for every place in the side. We’re definitely trending in the right direction and we’re not even halfway through the season. But we’ve put ourselves in a really good position.

“There are a lot of positives and the whole atmosphere around the place is good. We’re winning games where we probably would have fell off last year. There is a lot of good things happening,” said Heffernan, who will turn 28 next month.

He has chalked up 108 appearances for his native province and having come away with a bonus point despite fielding an understrength side to Perpignan, he believes the strength of Connacht’s squad has improved this season.

“There are a lot of guys in there putting their hands up for the inter-pro games over the next couple of weeks. Winning is a habit and to get five wins on the bounce is really good,” he said.

“We’re coming into a huge block of games, in my opinion playing three of the top sides in Europe, starting with Leinster, which is going to be a massive test. It’s one we’re all really excited for.

“Then we have two at home against Munster and Ulster, and they’re the kind of games everyone wants to play in.”