Connacht 52

Black Lion 0

By JOHN FALLON at Dexcom Stadium

HEAD Coach Stuart Lancaster reckons Connacht have the squad depth to have a crack at the Challenge Cup and also nail down a knockout place in the URC in his first season in charge in the west.

And while Connacht ran in eight tries in a 52-0 rout of Georgian invitational side Black Lion on Saturday, the highlight for Lancaster and, indeed, the players on the pitch given their reaction, was when he threw in two young props after the break and they promptly won two scrum penalties against a Georgian international front row.

Academy players Billy Bohan and Fiachna Barrett won the first penalty on a Georgian put-in and the second which led to a try before Kildare native Bohan set up the final try of the night for Shayne Bolton. Barrett, a 130kg tighthead from Geesala in north Mayo, was making his fourth appearance and like Bohan, is a former Irish U-20 international.

“We were very disappointed to have lost last week, 21-0 lead. And in the circumstances that happened, it was a very long journey back,” said Lancaster, whose squad didn’t arrive back home in Galway until almost 3am after their flight from Cardiff to Dublin was delayed last Sunday night week after the 24-21 loss to Ospreys.

“But we had a really good meeting on Monday and talked it through and looked at the lessons we could do better and how we could improve. I felt the energy grow in the week and in very difficult conditions scored 52 points. It was really pleasing, obviously.

“But I guess what was equally pleasing was seeing those young lads come on and get the scrum penalty. Those moments like that are special moments.”

Connacht head to Dragons this weekend, then host Ulster, away to Leinster, then the two European games against Montpellier and Montauban before the new stand at Dexcom Stadium will open in front of a full house against Leinster on January 24. It’s a busy schedule but Lancaster believes the depth chart is growing all the time.

“I do trust the quality of the squad. And we’re trying to develop that depth by giving players opportunities. So Harry West getting a shot at 10, Billy Bohan coming on there at loosehead. Fiachna (Barrett) getting some game time. But equally, to know you’ve got Cian Prendergast to come back in. You’ve got Finlay Bealham to come back in. You’ve got Bundee Aki to come back in. It’s reassuring in that regard.

“I think the depth here is excellent. Your biggest strength is your biggest weakness. But for us, I believe it’s a real strength. I don’t think we have enough players who can roll in week in, week out. So to be able to rotate the team and still put out a good team is going to be important for us.

Pictured: Connacht’s Hugh Gavin on the charge against Black Lion during Saturday’s European Challenge Cup encounter at Dexcom Stadium. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.