Inside Track with John McIntyre

You know it’s bad when the usually positive Pete Wilkins could find little or nothing to enthuse about after Connacht’s abject display against Ulster at Dexcom Stadium last Saturday week. Coming seven days after Mack Hansen’s outburst over perceived match officials bias against them, you would have expected a lot more from the Westerners.

Instead, Connacht slumped to their third URC defeat on the trot against a depleted Ulster outfit going through their own bad patch and with several academy players in their ranks. In short, the hosts didn’t front up as their slide down the table continued. They are now fourth from bottom.

In the context of how Connacht started the campaign – three wins from six games and a host of bonus points – their current woes are a surprise. In the team’s three matches since, they have failed to add a solitary point and have now lost all bar three of their opening nine outings as the URC season reaches its halfway juncture.

After Hansen took officials to task over their handling of Connacht’s defeat to Leinster, it should have set the scene for the players to deliver an invigorating effort against Ulster – in other words, to stand up for themselves, but there was little on-field responsibility on show in falling to a disastrous 17-7 loss.

Connacht are supposed to be professional but from the outset it appeared their mindset was all wrong. Did the team think that it was just a matter of turning up and taking care of their Ulster visitors? They appeared surprised by the opposition’s intensity at the breakdown and their tackling. Ulster were up for the match; Connacht weren’t.

At half-time, Caolin Blade and company knew they were in trouble, but the response was disappointing. Nick Timoney was setting the tone for a vigorous Ulster effort, but Connacht had no leaders on the night, and on this evidence, they have little hope of finishing in the top eight and securing a return to the European Cup.

Wilkins, who like most of his predecessors in the Connacht dug out, tends to resort to optimistic spin after troubling performances, couldn’t hide his frustration this time. “We were well beaten and it’s a massive blow to our season.” An overdue sense of realism from their Head Coach.

Pictured: Stiofáin Ó Briain of An Cheathrú Rua comes under pressure from Adam Joyce of Ballinagar during Sunday’s All-Ireland Club Junior Football semi-final at Hyde Park. Photo: David Cunniffe.