Elwood Rallies the Troops

Connacht Coach Eric Elwoo image:rasset.ie

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood has issued a rallying cry to supporters as the province bid to end their first season in the Heineken Cup on a high. The western side goes into the final pool game against Harlequins on Friday night without a victory in the competition so far and is desperate to put that right in front of a passionate and loyal home support.

“This could be our last Heineken Cup match for a while and that gives us huge motivation to go out and get that performance and result. We are determined to set the tone on Friday evening with a win and that all four provinces make this a memorable weekend for Irish rugby,' said the Connacht legend.

At the moment Connacht rugby is not sure what European competition it will be playing in next season and it’s destiny lies in the hands of others. So Friday night could be the players’ last chance for some time to come to experience the ecstasy of victory in Europe’s premier rugby competition.

“At this stage of the season, we are not afraid to admit that we are up against it in terms of qualification for next seasons Heineken Cup. That doesn't mean we'll stop trying and our supporters are assured we'll fight to the very end of the Rabodirect Pro 12,” Elwood added.

The players are determined to grasp the opportunity Friday night offers and captain Gavin Duffy echoed his coach’s clarion call and added that the team to give the fans the victory they deserve and so desperately crave.

'Everyone in the squad is looking forward to the match this Friday. We know the result didn't go our way last weekend even though our performance was much improved on the week before and after 2 weeks on the road everyone is itching to get back out in front of our home support and show we're in this competition for a reason.'

This uncertainty is an enormous motivating factor for the province and they will be going all out to ensure that if Friday night’s game is to be their last in the Heineken Cup, they will go down in a blaze of glory.