End of first term but Lancaster can't wait to drive Connacht further

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster before the United Rugby Championship quarter-final match between Glasgow Warriors and Connacht at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Rob Casey/Sportsfile

The curtain may have just come down on Stuart Lancaster’s first season in charge of Connacht but he can’t wait for next term.

It will be a year next week since the shock announcement of Lancaster as Connacht head coach but he came into an environment where the entire playing squad and management team was already in place.

The first half of the league saw just two wins in nine; the second half was eight wins from nine and while that URC run ended with a 33-21 loss at the quarter-final stage in Glasgow on Friday night, Lancaster said they are ready to kick on next season.

“We've got some good players to come in, for sure. We've got some good signings. We've got some good players to come back from injury. You know, the likes of Mack Hansen, Sean Jansen obviously missed this week. Harry West was injured, loads of lads. Byron Ralston has been out with an ACL since the start of the season, Caolin Blade is ready to come back now. So, we're excited about the future. We've got a great group coming through and we've got great foundations now.” 

Outhalf Ciarán Frawley, flanker Will Connors and prop Jerry Cahir are arriving from Leinster, while veteran South African loosehead Francois van Wyk arrives from Bath.

“As I said in the changing room, it's not a failure in my eyes,” added Lancaster after the five tries to three loss to table-toppers Glasgow. “It's a start of success, and where we'll go as a group next season with the young players we have coming through and the players we'll have coming back from injury. We're excited already about next season.” 

His son Dan played a big part in Glasgow’s success on a night when Warriors captain Kyle Steyn was outstanding, but Lancaster had regrets after a gutsy performance.

“Small margins, big consequences, and that's the reality at this level,” he said. “You need the rub of the green a little bit, we probably didn't get that. But equally, when we made a positive step forward, there was inevitably a little error here and there that cost us. And when you're playing against a top team like this, you know, they punish you in the end. And I think it's just that accumulation that sort of wore us down a bit.

“Plus, obviously, then you're losing players to HIAs and serious injuries and, you know, a couple of good players who missed out this week who would play normally.

“But I can't fault the lads' effort, honestly. Such a brilliant group of lads. And the progress we've made this season is incredible, really. To come here and take Glasgow to the wire when they were at full strength was great.”