Pete Wilkins: 'Leinster can't be a game we are afraid to lose'

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins maintains the Leinster clash will require calm heads and a lot of accuracy

Connacht coach Pete Wilkins has been outlining what it will take to inflict the first defeat of the season on league leaders Leinster.

Wilkins says his team need to be brave, positive and fearless in Saturday night’s “massive” Irish interprovincial derby in Galway.

Leinster have recorded bonus point victories in their first four URC matches, so the big question is how can they be stopped?

“We have got to fire some shots,” replies Wilkins.

“It can’t be a game we are afraid to lose. It can’t be a mindset where we are trying to contain the opposition.

“We have to be really positive and on the front foot in everything we do and that’s attack, defence and set-piece.

“The second part is recognising how important the first quarter of games are for Leinster. They are going after points early in terms of the intensity with which they start games.

“So that first quarter is going to be massive in terms of the foothold we can get in the game and how we can get the crowd engaged and the energy that comes from that.

“You’ve got to start well enough to ensure you are in the fight in the second half.” 

Connacht have had mixed results so far, with two wins and two defeats, but they are certainly earning a reputation as an entertaining watch, having scored 17 tries in those opening four games.

“It’s a reputation I am happy for us to have and there are two reasons for that,” said Wilkins.

“One is we need to play a certain way to get enough wins to be competitive at the end of the season.

“With the type of players we have got, we need to be positive and brave in the way we play. I think it’s our best formula for success.

“The second part is it means we are staying true to the ethos of the club in terms of what this place is about. It’s about thriving sometimes in difficult conditions and it’s about firing shots and not daring to dream about what’s possible.

“That might sound a little bit twee, but we are making a conscious effort to try and embody that a little bit more strongly in the way we play.

“It’s making for a good watch at the moment. We are scoring tries and we are getting bonus points we wouldn’t have got last year.

“It’s certainly not dull, but the important thing is to keep striving towards winning.” 

Maintaining their attacking strike-rate will be a tough ask against a Leinster side that has conceded just 54 points and eight tries in four league matches.

Oisín Dowling, 19, celebrates with team-mate Cathal Forde, right, after scoring a try against Hollywoodbets Sharks 

“It's a brilliant challenge for us,” said Wilkins.

“There is such a clear identity to their defensive structure and intent, so it’s about being good enough to deal with it.

“It requires calm heads and a lot of accuracy to get either through it or around it.

“Any game against Leinster, you are going to have to score a good chunk of points to get a result.” 

While Connacht have racked up 120 points so far - claiming victories over the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Scarlets along the way - they have conceded the same number and leaked 15 tries.

“We certainly need to be conceding less points,” said Wilkins.

“We conceded three maul tries against Ulster last week and I’ve no doubt that’s something Leinster will be looking to go after, which makes it an interesting challenge. We need to be good at both ends.” 

In addition to losing 32-27 in Belfast last weekend, Connacht were also beaten 35-33 at Munster in the opening round. So the question is whether they can make it third time lucky on the interprovincial front?

“We have played two really good Irish teams and the nature of our interpros is they tend to be the toughest going around compared to some of the other nations,” said Wilkins.

“To pick up four points from two interpros is four we wouldn’t have got last year.

“Would we have liked to have won one of them? Yes. Would we have liked to have won both? Absolutely.

“But we are getting better and we are not there yet.” 

Connacht haven’t beaten Leinster in Galway since 2017, so a victory this weekend would be all the sweeter.

“The nature of our performance is incredibly important based on the previous Leinster visits, the progress we want to make and the quality of the opposition,” said Wilkins.

“If we can get that performance right, there’s competition points and a result there that’s entirely possible for us.

“Look, there’s a lot to play for. Our performances here at home are a source of incredible importance for this group. So it’s a massive game for lots of reasons.”