2019–20 Connacht Rugby season

The 2019–20 season was Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's nineteenth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-fourth season as a professional side. It was Andy Friend's second season in charge of the side.

Connacht
2019–20 season
Head coachAndy Friend
Chief executiveWillie Ruane
CaptainJarrad Butler
Pro144th, Conf. B
Champions CupPool stage (4th)
Top try scorerAll: John Porch (6)
Top points scorerAll: Conor Fitzgerald (85)
Highest home attendance8,129 v Leinster
8 November 2019
8,129 v Munster
21 December 2019
8,129 v Toulouse
11 January 2020
Lowest home attendance4,512 v Cardiff Blues[lower-alpha 1]
15 February 2020
Average home attendance6,316[lower-alpha 1]
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
← 2018–19 2020–21 →

In the regular season, Connacht were placed in Conference B of the Pro14, after spending the previous two seasons in Conference A. As well as playing in the Pro14, the team competed in the Champions Cup in Europe on the back of the previous season's league performance. They were drawn into pool 5 with Gloucester, Montpellier and Toulouse, and finished bottom of the table. In addition to the league and European competitions, the Connacht Eagles development side again competed in the Celtic Cup. The Eagles finished third in the regular season of the eight-team competition, just two points behind finalists Ulster A.

On 12 March 2020, with 13 of Connacht's 21 fixtures in the regular season of the Pro14 completed, the league was put on indefinite hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.[1] The competition resumed in August, with the remaining fixtures replaced by two rounds of derby games for each team.[2] Connacht ultimately finished fourth in their conference. This was enough to earn entry to the 2020–21 Champions Cup after it was expanded to 24 teams on a one-season basis due to the pandemic.[3]

Coaching and management team

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Individuals may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Role Name Union
Chief Executive Willie Ruane[4]  Ireland
Team Manager Tim Allnutt[5]  New Zealand
Head Coach Andy Friend[6]  Australia
Forwards Coach Jimmy Duffy[7]  Ireland
Backs Coach Nigel Carolan[8]  Ireland
Defence Coach Peter Wilkins[9]  England
Senior Video Analyst Simon Kavanagh[10]  Ireland
Head of Strength and Conditiong David Howarth[11]  Australia
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach Johnny O'Connor[12]  Ireland
Academy Manager Eric Elwood[13]  Ireland
Connacht Eagles Coach Mossy Lawler[14]  Ireland

Players

Senior playing squad
Connacht Rugby Pro14 squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Italics indicate players signed during mid-season break.
Players and their allocated positions from the Connacht Rugby website.[15]

Academy squad
Connacht Rugby Academy squad

Props

Hookers

  • Ireland Declan Adamson (1)
  • Ireland Dylan Tierney-Martin (2)

Locks

Back row

  • Ireland Joshua Dunne (2)
  • Ireland Seán Masterson (3)
  • Ireland Oisín McCormack (1)
  • Ireland Mikey Wilson (2)

Scrum-halves

  • Ireland Colm Reilly (2)

Fly-halves

Centres

  • Ireland Shane Jennings (1)
  • Ireland Seán O'Brien (2)

Wings

  • Ireland Conor Hayes (2)
  • Ireland Hugh Lane (1)
  • Ireland Oran McNulty (2)

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players, number in brackets indicates players stage in the three-year academy cycle.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Players and their allocated positions from the Connacht Rugby website.[16]

Senior team transfers

Unlike most seasons, where the bulk of transfers occur during the summer pre-season the 2019–20 season saw two separate periods of major transfer activity. Many moves scheduled to happen at the end of the season instead took place during the extended hiatus from March to August 2020.

May 2019 – March 2020
For player movement in the Pro14 from the end of the 2018–19 season until the mid-season hiatus, see List of 2019–20 Pro14 transfers.

May 2020 – August 2020
For player movement in the Pro14 from the mid-season hiatus to the end of the 2020–21 season, see List of 2020–21 Pro14 transfers.

Results

Pro14
Main article: 2019–20 Pro14
2019–20 Pro14 Table
Conference A
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP PTS
1Ireland Leinster (CH) 151500531216+31574289069
2Ireland Ulster (RU) 15816385306+7950407344[lower-alpha 2]
3Scotland Glasgow Warriors 15807364329+3553425138
4South Africa Cheetahs 13607342280+6248325232
5Wales Dragons 15519283415–13232491124
6Italy Zebre 153111230399–16929564321
7Wales Ospreys 152211205375–17021451417
Conference B
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP PTS
1Scotland Edinburgh (SF) 151104391225+16647275251
2Ireland Munster (SF) 151005426255+17153268351
3Wales Scarlets 151005354274+8046345247
4Ireland Connacht 15807302360–5841487140
5Italy Benetton 15618309350–4135425536
6Wales Cardiff Blues 15708283327–4430383233
7South Africa Southern Kings 131012204498–2942375037
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order -[47]
  1. number of matches won
  2. the difference between points for and points against
  3. the number of tries scored
  4. the most points scored
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against
  6. the fewest red cards received
  7. the fewest yellow cards received
Green background indicates teams that compete in the Pro14 play-offs, and also earn a place in the 2020–21 European Champions Cup

Blue background indicates teams outside the play-off places that earn a place in the 2020–21 European Champions Cup
Red background indicates teams ineligible for European cup tournaments
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2020–21 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
(CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (SF) Losing semi-finalists. (Q) Qualified for Pro14 play-off semi-finals. (e) Cannot reach play-offs.

    1. This excludes the game against Ulster on 23 August 2020, which was officially a home game but played behind closed doors in the Aviva Stadium.
    2. Ulster deducted 1 point for administration error regarding Ian Madigan. [46]

    Conference Rounds 1 to 13
    28 September 2019
    17:15
    Scarlets Wales18–10Ireland Connacht
    Report
    Parc y Scarlets
    Attendance: 6,415
    Referee: Stuart Berry (SARU)
    5 October 2019
    19:35
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland41–5Italy Benetton
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 4,839
    Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge (SARU)
    11 October 2019
    19:35
    Dragons Wales14–38Ireland Connacht (1 BP)
    Report
    Rodney Parade
    Attendance: 3,257
    Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR)
    26 October 2019
    17:15
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland24–22South Africa Cheetahs (1 BP)
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 4,945
    Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
    2 November 2019
    17:15
    Ospreys Wales10–20Ireland Connacht
    Report
    Liberty Stadium
    Attendance: 5,726
    Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR)
    8 November 2019
    19:35
    Connacht Ireland11–42Ireland Leinster (1 BP)
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 8,129
    Referee: Sean Gallagher (IRFU)
    30 November 2019
    17:15
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland24–12South Africa Southern Kings
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 5,146
    Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
    21 December 2019
    17:15
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland14–19Ireland Munster
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 8,129
    Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)
    27 December 2019
    19:35
    (1 BP) Ulster Ireland35–3Ireland Connacht
    Report
    Kingspan Stadium
    Attendance: 17,483
    Referee: Sean Gallagher (IRFU)
    4 January 2020
    17:30
    (1 BP) Leinster Ireland54–7Ireland Connacht
    Report
    RDS Arena
    Attendance: 18,300
    Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU)
    15 February 2020
    19:35
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland29–0Wales Cardiff Blues
    Report
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 4,512
    Referee: Stuart Berry (SARU)
    21 February 2020
    19:35
    (1 BP) Edinburgh Scotland41–14Ireland Connacht
    Report
    BT Murrayfield Stadium
    Attendance: 5,367
    Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR)
    1 March 2020
    13:00
    Southern Kings South Africa19–29Ireland Connacht (1 BP)
    Report
    Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
    Attendance: 1,500
    Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni (SARU)

    Additional Derby Rounds
    23 August 2020
    16:30
    (1 BP) Connacht Ireland26–20Ireland Ulster (1 BP)
    Report
    Aviva Stadium
    Attendance: 0[lower-alpha 1]
    Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)
    30 August 2020
    15:00
    Munster Ireland49–12Ireland Connacht
    Report
    Aviva Stadium
    Attendance: 0[lower-alpha 1]
    Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)

    Champions Cup
    Main article: 2019–20 European Rugby Champions Cup

    Pool 5
    Team
    		 P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
    France Toulouse (3) 660016285771993027
    England Gloucester 6204140140019143314
    France Montpellier 6204118157–3912201110
    Ireland Connacht 6204120158–3815221110

    [48]

    17 November 2019
    13:00
    Connacht Ireland23–20France Montpellier (1 BP)
    Try: Boyle 37' m
    McCartney 40'+4 m
    Blade 52' c
    Con: Carty (1/3) 53'
    Pen: Carty (1/1) 15'
    C. Fitzgerald 67' (1/1)    		Report[49]Try: Cruden 1' c
    Bouthier 62' c
    Con: Paillaugue (2/2) 1', 63'
    Pen: Paillaugue (2/2) 22', 46'
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 6,229
    Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
    23 November 2019
    14:00
    (1 BP) Toulouse France32–17Ireland Connacht
    Try: Bézy 12' c
    Huget 33' m
    Kaino 63' c
    Ahki 80'+1 c
    Con: Ramos (3/4) 14', 64', 80'+2
    Pen: Ramos (2/2) 18', 60'    		Report[50]Try: Farrell 10' c
    Blade 24' c
    Con: Fitzgerald (2/2) 11', 25'
    Pen: Fitzgerald (0/1)
    Drop: Fitzgerald (1/1) 49'
    Stade Ernest-Wallon
    Attendance: 15,100
    Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
    8 December 2019
    13:00
    (1 BP) Gloucester England26–17Ireland Connacht
    Try: Marshall (2) 3' c, 60' m
    Rees-Zammit 46' c
    Polledri 63' c
    Con: Cipriani (3/4) 4', 46', 64'    		Report[51]Try: Porch 8' c
    Roux 80' c
    Con: Carty (1/1) 8'
    Fitzgerald (1/1) 80'+1
    Pen: Carty (1/2) 17'
    Kingsholm Stadium
    Attendance: 10,875
    Referee: Pascal Gauzère (FFR)
    14 December 2019
    12:45
    Connacht Ireland27–24England Gloucester (2 BP)
    Try: Blade 29' c
    Delahunt 76' c
    Copeland 80' c
    Con: Fitzgerald (3/3) 30', 77', 80'+ 2
    Pen: Fitzgerald (2/2) 14', 59'    		Report[52]Try: Grobler 33' c
    Atkinson (2) 50' m, 68' m
    Ludlow 65' c
    Con: Twelvetrees (2/4) 34', 66'
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 6,787
    Referee: Romain Poite (FFR)
    11 January 2019
    15:15
    Connacht Ireland7–21France Toulouse
    Try: Penalty try 10'Report[53]Try: Kaino 19' c
    Marchand 37' c
    Ahki 44' c
    Con: Ramos (3/3) 21', 39', 46'
    Galway Sportsgrounds
    Attendance: 8,129
    Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU)
    19 January 2019
    16:15
    (1 BP) Montpellier France35–29Ireland Connacht (2 BP)
    Try: Chilachava 3' c
    N'Gandebe (2) 23' c, 28' c
    Reilhac (2) 52' c, 77' c
    Con: Pollard (5/5) 4', 24', 30', 52', 78'    		Report[54]Try: Healy 34' c
    Porch 36' c
    Marmion 40'+1 c
    Godwin 43' m
    Con: Carty (3/4) 35', 38', 40'+ 2
    Pen: Carty (1/1) 57'
    Altrad Stadium
    Attendance: 9,900
    Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)

    Notes
    1. This game was played behind closed doors due to coronavirus restrictions.

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