Retaining Andy Friend is crucial to Connacht in uncertain times

The news this week that Andy Friend is close to extending his stay at the Sportsground will have been well received by Connacht fans, not least as most expected him to depart

A STEADY HAND: Andy Friend’s win rate as Connacht coach has seen him claim 32 wins from 61 matches — second only to Warren Gatland, and Gatland was only in charge at province for 12 games.

The Sportsground may not be the prettiest of all the club grounds in the PRO14 and Champions Cup but it couldn’t have been rosier in the garden this time last year after the Irish government pledged €20m towards the redevelopment of the Galway venue which would finally put Connacht on a par with their competitors.

That gift from Leo Varadkar’s government, coupled with another €10m which Connacht were contributing from their own savings and borrowings, would pave the way for a modern stadium and even if the capacity was only going up from 8,000 to 12,000, it promised a state of the art vision befitting a progressive professional sports organisation.