Friend’s Connacht turn focus to Cardiff

Connacht coach Andy Friend says they must park their European Challenge Cup quarter-final qualification and the call-up of half-a-dozen of his squad for Six Nations duty and concentrate on a crunch PRO14 clash in Cardiff on Saturday.

It has been a glorious few weeks for Connacht and yesterday’s announcement that assistant coaches Nigel Carolan, Jimmy Duffy and Peter Wilkins have all extended their contracts to the summer of 2021 is the latest boost.