For the first time this season, Connacht prepare for a game coming off the back of a pointless exercise.
Pete Wilkins’ side have won two and lost three of their BKT URC games so far but last weekend’s defeat to Leinster was the first time they failed to register a bonus point.
They picked up a brace of points in losses to Munster and Ulster, while they accumulated nine in their wins over Sharks and Scarlets.
With just one game left before a four-week break for the autumn internationals, the result from tomorrow’s visit of Dragons to the Dexcom Stadium will dictate the mood around the Galway-based side for the best part of a month.
Win handsomely against a Welsh side in 14th, with one victory to their name, and Connacht will sit back and recuperate with 18 points, pleased with a solid start to the season.
Lose for a third weekend in a row and they’ll have to stew in the bitter taste of defeat, lumbering around mid-table.
With that in mind, could there be a temptation to “dial it back” a bit, a question posed to Paul Boyle about their attacking style of play? Play a slightly more conservative, risk-averse game in order to beat Dragons by the book, getting the basics right.
“Well, our plan definitely isn’t to dial it back,” said the number 8, whose side are ranked third of 16 in the attack stakes but have conceded a league-high 153 points.
“We’ve spoken about it and Prendo [captain Cian Prendergast] spoke really well about keep building and keep attacking the game.
“We’ve got to do that our way and on our terms and that’s by going out and attacking the game. We definitely want to play at our pace and there’s so many things that come into that.
“We need to win our lineout, we need to have a scrum going forward and our breakdown needs to be quick. We need to get over the gain line to allow our breakdown to be quick.
“So there are so many details that go into it but that’s the goal.
“If we play the game our way, at our pace and on our terms, we’re going to really impose ourselves on that game.”
While Connacht already had 18 points after five rounds last season, there is a general consensus that the team has evolved as Wilkins moves into his second full year in charge.
“I definitely feel we’re more connected as a squad,” said the 28-year-old Wexford man, who is in line to make his 98th appearance for the team tomorrow (7.35pm).
“I think the coaches and players have taken some learnings from last year and I just think we’re so close to putting it all together.
“We’ve been really good in certain games and in parts of certain games, but that last element of it all clicking is really close, I think, and it’s going to be really exciting when it does.
“A lot of people have said that to me from the outside, that that’s what they’re seeing and it definitely feels that way in the group.”
Connacht have lost just one of their previous six meetings with Dai Flanagan’s side, who have not recorded an away win in the championship since April 2022.
Four of their team, Rhodri Williams (below), Aaron Wainwright, Ben Carter and Rio Dyer, were named in the Wales squad for the international window but defeat for the hosts tomorrow night is almost unthinkable.
“The way the URC is now it is so competitive, that every game does feel like that [must-win],” added Boyle.
“But heading into the break, of course five points is our goal.
“Heading into the break with 18 points is a lot stronger position than anything less, so that’s what we’ve set out and that’s what we’re looking for.
“[Dragons are] a big pack, a really physical side so we’re going to have to have a huge focus on our maul defence, our own goal line defence and pile a lot of bodies into that.
“They’re a much-improved outfit this year. Even if you look at their Leinster game, they were 10-6 down after 50 minutes, so they are a good, physical side.
“We’ll pick areas where we can slow their ball down and get after them, but the big focus is on ourselves because we really do feel that if we play our game our way, it will be very hard to stop us if we get into our flow.”
