By John Fallon

Connacht tighthead Jack Aungier believes the work the squad did on their set-piece during the marathon preseason in a World Cup year is really going to stand to them as they bid to repeat the late surge which took them to the semi-finals of the URC last term.

Five league wins in row from late January to mid-April took Connacht into the knockout stages of the URC in 2023, defeating Ulster 15-10 in Belfast in the quarter-finals before bowing out to then reigning champions the Stormers in Cape Town in the last four.

The arrival of former captain John Muldoon from Bristol Bears as lineout and maul coach last summer meant a change of direction and Aungier said the extra long preseason – which went on for 16 weeks – gave them great time to bed in a new system.

“It was quite different what he brought in, so we definitely needed that extra preseason. I think it still took a while to click, some of our lineout, but on the other side our maul defence and attack is going quite well. The extra time in preseason was a help in getting a feel for the new coach, new ideas, new calls and a few new players as well.”

It was Aungier’s fourth preseason with Connacht since moving from the Leinster Academy and he said Muldoon’s impact, along with the work of scrum and contact coach Colm Tucker, has made them into a formidable unit.

They head into the second half of the URC campaign this weekend when they travel to Cardiff tomorrow, and Aungier said they are raring to go.

“We have worked very hard on our scrum and our maul this season, especially with Mul coming in,” added the 25-years-old. “He’s done great work there and obviously Cully over the last few years has turned us into one of the best scrums in the league.

Pictured: Connacht’s Jack Aungier in action against the Ospreys last October. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.