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By John O’Sullivan
Head coach Andy Friend says it is important that Connacht finish their campaign off with a win against the Ospreys on Friday night in order to provide a positive springboard into next season.
After a loss to Benetton Rugby last time out, the Westerners cannot qualify for the GuinnessPRO14 Rainbow Cup final stages and the 6:00 pm kick-off against the Welshmen will be their final game of the season.
Friend, however, believes that a victory will provide confidence going into the 2021/2022 campaign and the game itself -- against an Ospreys team who are still in the running for a finals berth -- will provide a platform for players to win Ireland selections ahead of the national team’s summer tests.
“We’re all competitors in this game, and you never go into a contest where you don’t want to win it,” the Australian said.
“100% we want to win this game on the weekend and use it as a springboard, that would be good. But even just to finish the season off, because otherwise it just sits in your guts.
“If the last game we have is a loss, it doesn’t help you. You’re sitting there for the next two and a half, three months before you play your next game and you think ‘crikey, that last one wasn’t so flash’, so we all want to win it.
“I certainly know I want to win it and I know, talking to the majority of the players here, there’s an energy and desire to win that.’
Ireland will host the United States and Japan in summer tests in July and Friend -- who recently marked three years at the province -- says that winning squad places for those games will provide extra motivation for his players.
“The players are very aware that there’s an Irish squad that will hopefully be named in a week or two weeks time,” the former Australian sevens coach said.
“We’ve got a chunk of players who I believe are able to be named in that. You got to keep performing and you got to keep putting your hand up and there is a motivation in that.
“There is also a motivation and pride in the jersey and what we’re about, so -- as we’ve seen this year -- we’ve had real highs and real lows, but normally every time we’ve had a low, we’ve bounced back with a real high.
“I think our motivation will be fine. Ospreys beat us this season, so we’ll want to turn the tables on that too.”
Elsewhere, centre Bundee Aki said he is extremely proud to represent Connacht and the West of Ireland with the British and Irish Lions this summer.
Aki was named in Warren Gatland's 37 man squad for the tour to South Africa this summer, becoming the fourth Connacht player to represent the Lions after Ciaran Fitzgerald(1983), John O’Driscoll(1980 and 1983) and Ray O’Loughlin(1966 and 1971)
The Ireland international, 31, says that he is grateful for the role that Connacht and the local community have played in helping him achieve such an honour.
“It’s a big honour to be able to be selected in the Lions squad,” Aki said.
“I’m proud to be representing Connacht, as well as Ireland, as well as my family. I won’t be taking anything lightly about it. It’s obviously a huge honour and I will definitely take it with both hands.
“I wouldn’t have been where I am now if it wasn’t for the help of the community when I first arrived. They made me feel like I was at home. The support that we have had(his family) from the day we arrived here in Galway, the organisation here in Connacht have been so good to me until this day,” the 2016 PRO12 winner said.
“I’m so grateful for having this kind of support here in Galway. I know the community has been so good. A lot of people have been sending me stuff here and there and it’s overwhelming to be able to have that effect on this community, this small community.”
