Stuart Lancaster backs Connacht to rise to occasion as new stand opens for Leinster clash

Saturday evening’s BKT URC clash with Leinster will be played in front of a record 12,500 full house at the newly refurbished Dexcom Stadium, as the new state-of-the-art Clan Stand is officially opened.

This fixture marks the completion of a €40m redevelopment project which has also seen the construction of a high performance centre in addition to the 6,500-capacity three-tier stand. Lancaster recognises how an Irish inter-provincial derby is the perfect way to open the new stand, as he rallies his team and the supporters for a historic occasion.

“We recognise the importance of the occasion to the province, to the players - particularly the ones who have been here for years - and to the people who had the idea, with all the work that has gone into it,” said head coach Lancaster. It’s been 10-12 years in the creation, from the concept to the execution of building this, going through Covid.

“For people at Connacht, be it supporters or players who were here when it was just a grass pitch with a dog track around it and a shed, it has grown to this. It’s incredible. You have got teams in England who haven’t survived, while Connacht have managed to survive, thrive, build a high performance centre and a new stand.

“You have got a corporate facility and a space where people can come and have an amazing fan experience. Then, during the week, you can create commercial revenue because there’s not much in the west of Ireland that can match it really. That can be reinvested into the club, into the province, into the grass roots, into the professional team. So it’s a game changer.”

Reflecting on the fast approaching big day of the Leinster game, Lancaster said: “Obviously this has been in the calendar since the very start of the season and it’s something we’ve referenced and talked about.

“I don’t think you can shy away from a game of this size and what it means to the province. I had experiences with England, with the opening game of the 2015 World Cup, and you have to be in it to embrace it. It’s a huge game and we are really looking forward to it.”

Lancaster says the Connacht players have learned the lessons from last season’s 30-24 defeat to Munster Rugby in front of a 25,000 sell out at Castlebar’s MacHale Park - the home of County Mayo GAA. “I spoke to a lot of the lads about the game in Mayo last year and they felt they probably didn’t reference that enough in the lead up to the game and probably the size of the occasion surprised them when they actually got there,” he said.

“They were 20 minutes into the game before they really realised the significance of it when they saw what Castlebar was like. “But we have trained on this pitch all season. It’s not like it’s new for us. The changing rooms are new, so it was good that we got the opportunity to go into them for the first time for the Montauban game.

“We got up to the third floor for the first time last week, so we got a view of what it’s going to look like for a supporter. We looked down on the pitch and out across the bay and talked about it being an iconic stadium for the future. I’ve been to some amazing stadiums, but it’s the people that bring stadiums to life and the supporters are a huge part of Connacht rugby.

“They have been amazing to help get the club to this point and we are counting on them more than ever now. All the remaining home games this season are going to be huge for us and we believe the fans can help us win these games. The support on match day is going to be huge. I don’t think anyone really knows what it’s going to feel like until 5.30pm on Saturday when it’s full, but I think it will be pretty special.”

The contest will have added spice for Lancaster as he will be taking on a team that he had a lengthy spell with on the coaching front. The visitors from Dublin will arrive in Galway having won nine games on the trot in all competitions.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who knows Leinster better than me having been there for seven years,” said Lancaster. The results they have had speak for themselves. When I looked at their draw in the Champions Cup, I thought ‘Jeez, that’s a tough pool’ and they won four from four.

“But we have got to believe that we can beat them. We have got to pray it’s one of those occasions where the crowd, the environment and the quality of our play leads to a victory, but we know it’s going to be hard because it’s not like you are dealing with players who are not used to playing in big occasions.

“Virtually every player at Leinster has played international rugby. They have played in World Cup games, in huge games in the Aviva, so they will be ready, I am sure.”

1. Stuart Lancaster guided England to back-to-back Six Nations second-place finishes in 2014 and 2015, including a record points tally in 2015.

2. Lancaster was head coach for England's 2015 Rugby World Cup pool stage exit - this was the first time a RWC host nation failed to progress to the knock-out stages!

3. Lancaster later rebuilt his reputation with Leinster, where he became senior coach in 2016 and helped win four Pro14 titles and reach multiple Champions Cup finals.

4. Before his senior coaching career, he was England U20 head coach, winning the 2008 U20 Six Nations Grand Slam with the side.

5. As a player, Lancaster was a centre who spent his entire club career with Leeds Tykes, earning 2 England caps.