They will be successful wherever they go because they re good people
Nigel Carolan and Jimmy Duffy’s time with Connacht came to an end last night. By Murray Kinsella Saturday 5 Jun 2021, 6:00 AM 1 hour ago 715 Views 0 Comments
Jimmy Duffy and Nigel Carolan.
Jimmy Duffy and Nigel Carolan.
THERE WAS NO crowd at the Sportsground to bid them farewell after Connacht’s win over the Ospreys, but last night in Galway brought to an end the outstanding service Nigel Carolan and Jimmy Duffy have provided for the province.
The pair of assistant coaches are moving onto new, as-yet-unannounced challenges after each spending more than two decades of their lives working to improve Connacht rugby.
); His office had pictures of everyone who had come through the Academy, he was very proud of those fellas
The inside look at how Nigel Carolan built a lasting legacy at Connacht. By Ciarán Kennedy Thursday 13 May 2021, 8:00 PM 2 hours ago 10,673 Views 2 Comments
IT’S THE EARLY 2000s and Connacht Rugby is in a bad place. On the pitch, the team are actually fairing alright. They reach the quarter-finals of the inaugural Celtic League in 2002, and repeat the trick in 2003, although the gap between themselves and the next tier of teams is clear.
On the other side of the country, heavy talks are taking place in the IRFU’s offices. Irish rugby’s governing body comes to the conclusion that Connacht simply aren’t worth the hassle or the money, and decide they will disband the club in a bid to ease the Union’s growing
Andy Friend really excited for Connacht s future after finalising new coaching team
Last week the province announced Dewald Senekal as their new forwards coach. By Ciarán Kennedy Wednesday 5 May 2021, 7:30 AM 7 hours ago 3,577 Views 0 Comments
Connacht head coach Andy Friend.
Image: James Crombie/INPHO
Image: James Crombie/INPHO
ANDY FRIEND SAYS Connacht’s recent recruitment process shows the value the province place on promoting from within.
Connacht are set to lose two long-serving ‘homegrown’ coaches this summer, with backs coach Nigel Carolan and forwards coach Jimmy Duffy both moving on in search of fresh challenges.
A major coaching reshuffle then saw Peter Wilkins move to the role of senior coach, with primary responsibility for attack, while Mossy Lawler was appointed assistant and skills coach with Colm
Image: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
A QUICK GLANCE at the Leicester Tigers team named to play Connacht today [KO 8pm, BT Sport] tells you everything you need to know about their approach to this game.
Leicester do not see themselves as a Challenge Cup side. This will be only their 10th ever outing in the competition. Connacht, on the other hand, have played 126 games in European Rugby’s second-tier tournament.
At the moment, this is Connacht’s level, and a win today would harden their belief that they can finally come out on top in a competition they have been so synonymous with down the years.