Troy Nathan gives Glasgow inside track on how to win in Galway

Published on Saturday 18 February 2012 02:57

CONNACHT players may be too diplomatic to say it, but one of their former brethren was only too happy to warn Glasgow this week of the heightened expectation that lurks in Galway when Scottish teams visit.

Warriors coach Sean Lineen this week pointed to his side’s solitary league win in nine years as sufficient evidence of the size of the task facing Glasgow in Connacht tonight, and he was backed up by Troy Nathan, the New Zealander who spent four seasons with Connacht before crossing the Irish Sea to Glasgow last summer.

One of the reasons for Glasgow’s struggles is the fact they always seem to be drawn away to Connacht during an international window and so are without their key players, and that is when Connacht are at their hungriest according to Nathan, who played in the 37-8 thumping of Glasgow last February.

He said: “They know that the average team will have at least five players out so it’s a big part of the season for them. They try to target home games. In the past they’ve done it and have crept up the table, and it’s a mindset that you get the ‘W’s when the Six Nations are on.

“We always were confident of beating Edinburgh at home and I was involved in both games against Glasgow last year. I didn’t score at the Sportsground, but I’m sure there were a few assists! A lot of teams don’t like going to the Sportsground because it’s a racetrack, it’s windy and the weather’s not great. So Connacht have a mindset that they have the upper hand at the start.”

There is a belief that Scottish teams go there with the aim of just getting the game played and returning home as quickly as possible, and the mental strength of the Glasgow players last year was shown to be worryingly weak.

Clearly, Lineen and the Glasgow squad have been keen to tap into Nathan’s inside knowledge this time in an effort to ensure there is a different approach. So, how do Glasgow strike a first win there since 2007?

“Looking back at last year’s game,” said Nathan, “it’s hard to come back when the home team is three tries ahead of you. We [Connacht] got early points that day and they [Glasgow] started falling asleep. I didn’t know then that I would be coming to Glasgow of course.

“Glasgow were at the lower end of the table then, whereas this year we’re third so we’re going there confident, but we know that Connacht love playing at home. We have to play in the right areas of the park. We’ve got a game-plan in place and we’ve trained well all week, so we’ve just got to get over there on Saturday night and execute it properly and hopefully come away with a win.”

The skilful Kiwi centre was one of seven players Connacht lost to better clubs last season, but they also brought in 15 players including Henry Fa’afili, a hard-hitting Samoan centre from Leeds who lines up against Graeme Morrison. They also have a new stand, though, intriguingly, Nathan believes that could actually lessen the home advantage at the Sportsground. “I’d say it will be less intimidating now with that stand. When players go there, they think ‘where’s the stands?’ There’s a stand on one side but on the other people just stand there freezing their bollocks off. Now, it’s more like a rugby arena. I’m looking forward to going there and playing in a proper stadium.”

He added: “But we won’t be underestimating them. They have threats all over the park. Losing five [league] games in a row they’re obviously not on a good streak and people can go there thinking it’s a guaranteed win. But then they play Harlequins and they get a win (last month] and everyone says it’s the hardest place in the world to play.

“At this point in time no one is underestimating them.”

Connacht: G Duffy; F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, H Fa’afili, T O’Halloran; N O’Connor, P O’Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Loughney, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, E Grace, G Naoupu. Subs: E Reynecke, D Buckley, S Maguire, D Gannon, M Kearney, D Moore, M Jarvis

Glasgow: P Murchie; T Seymour, T Nathan, G Morrison, D Lemi; R Jackson, H Pyrgos; R Grant, P MacArthur, J Welsh, R Verbakel, T Ryder, R Harley, C Fusaro, R Wilson. Subs: F Gillies, G Reid, G Hunter, N Campbell, D Weir, A Dunbar, C Shaw, C Forrester.

Referee: P Allan (SRU)

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