Connacht put travel woes behind them to focus on Brive Challenge Cup clash

Fri, 20 Nov, 2015 - 13:52

Connacht will aim to put the “mental challenge” of a marathon journey home from Siberia behind them when they resume European Challenge Cup action on Saturday.

"Galway will feel like St Tropez!" @connachtrugby brave freezing temperatures in Siberia during #ChallengeCup clash. https://t.co/sVoyjeR47X
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 15, 2015

After beating tournament newcomers Enisei-STM 31-14 in Krasnoyarsk last Saturday – a game played in minus 20 degree temperatures – it then took

A combination of technical problems with their charter plane, missed flights and visa issues conspired against them, meaning head coach Pat Lam has had little time to prepare for this weekend’s Pool One appointment with French challengers Brive.

“It was minus 30 degrees when we had to get off the charter plane on Saturday night. We had to go back to our original hotel and split the group up,” Lam said.

“One group went home via Amsterdam, one via Paris and another via London. It has been a bit like a game – things happened, and we just had to adjust.

“It became a long, long journey home, but the whole trip was fantastic. It turned into a mental challenge, and we were all under the pump.

“It has shortened our preparation for Brive, but there are some things you simply can’t control. We just had to get on with it.

“I changed the training schedule for this week four times, and it meant we only got one run-out before facing Brive.”

Connacht team: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran - captain, 14 Rory Parata, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Danie Poolman, 10 Jack Carty, 9 Kieran Marmion; 1 Ronan Loughney, 2 Jason Harris-Wright, 3 Nathan White, 4 Ben Marshall, 5 Andrew Browne, 6 Eoghan Masterson, 7 Nepia Fox-Matamua 8 Eoin McKeon.

Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Conan O’Donnell, 18 Finlay Bealham19 Danny Qualter, 20 George Naoupu, 21 Ian Porter, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Niyi Adeolokun.