International ambitions remain but Stuart Lancaster focused on new start with Connacht
Michael Bolton
Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster says he is focused on the start of the season with Connacht, but has not ruled out a return to international rugby in the future.
Lancaster took over as head coach of Connacht earlier this year after he was sacked by Racing 92 in France.
His contract takes him to 2027, at the same time, Andy Farrell's contract as Ireland head coach will end after the World Cup.
Speaking at at a press conference in Galway on the redevelopment of the former Sportsground, Lancaster's focus is on this weekend's opening game against Benneton on Saturday.
“We’ll see. People often ask me about international rugby and club rugby. International rugby is amazing. The highs are really high, you’re away…watching the Lions series, thinking ‘I’d love to be involved in that, coaching’ and same with international rugby.
“Then you have big, long gaps in it as well. I love the coaching piece as well and I’m happy coaching in the club environment for the time being.
“I’ll be 57 in two years’ time, there’s plenty more in me."
Lancaster comes to the province after a frustrating season for Connacht, finishing 13th in the URC, and exiting the Challenge Cup in the quarter-final stages.
In fact, Lancaster was in Galway for their European exit to Racing to watch his son play, months after Stuart's sacking from the club.
From that day on, the process to appoint the former Leinster coach took place, with living back in Ireland a big factor to his decision.
“I was pretty burnt, to be honest. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do next, other than leaving France.
“I said, ‘God, we miss Ireland, don’t we?’ And it just so happened that Off The Ball asked for an interview for the following Wednesday. It was all coincidence.
“We very much saw it as a family decision, and also a rugby one,” says Lancaster.
“The rugby one was an easy one for me because it was a chance to coach full-time in a club environment that I knew [has] good people, a great place to live, etc. So it didn’t take a huge amount of persuading for me to sort of put my hat in the ring.”
A team full of attacking talent, Lancaster will also be acting as the province's defence coach.
An area of the game which Connacht will have to improve to achieve success this season, Lancaster will also be hoping Connacht can manage crucial moments in games better this season.
"Last year I think they were frustrated that they didn't achieve more, it you look at the metrics of line breaks, defenders beaten, attack was a really strong part of Connacht's game.
"The bit I felt needed to balance out was the defence but also game management. It's all well having a great attacking mindset but if you come 13th that's not the outcome we all want."
A new coaching team, stadium redevelopment, three Lions in the squad, and several players winning their first caps for Ireland, it is an exciting time for the province.
In his previous spell with Leinster, several young players came through the system who are key to the province today, and Lancaster hopes the same impact can be made at Connacht.
"When players go away to international environments, they defenitley come back with an increased self confidence and self belief
"Part of the challenge for me is to increase the self belief of this team. Those players that have done that, you can see it.
"There is a group of players who are younger than those players, they are the ones you need to integrate. People say about Leinster's production line, the production line works through the schools, through the clubs, into the academy and into the professional scene.
"It feels very similar to that start when I went to Leinster in September 2016 after Connacht beat Leinster in the final, we made some tweaks to how we train and brought Stuesdays in, some experiences of being at Leinster, coaching England and probably as relevant was being in France as well."
