2020–21 Connacht Rugby season

The 2020–21 season will be Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's twentieth season competing in the Pro14, and the team's twenty-fifth season as a professional side. It will be Andy Friend's third season in charge of the side.

Connacht
2020–21 season
Head coachAndy Friend
Chief executiveWillie Ruane
CaptainJarrad Butler
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
← 2019–20

In addition to the Pro14, Connacht will also compete in the European Champions Cup. This was confirmed in August 2020, as the tournament was expanded to 24 teams on a one-season basis.[1]

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[2]  Ireland
Team Manager Tim Allnutt[3]  New Zealand
Head Coach Andy Friend[3]  Australia
Forwards Coach Jimmy Duffy[3]  Ireland
Backs Coach Nigel Carolan[3]  Ireland
Defence Coach Peter Wilkins[3]  England
Senior Video Analyst Simon Kavanagh[3]  Ireland
Head of Strength and Conditiong David Howarth[3]  Australia
Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach Johnny O'Connor[3]  Ireland
Academy Manager Eric Elwood[4]  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.
L denotes a player on loan at the club.
ST denotes a short-term signing at the club.
Players and their allocated positions from the Connacht Rugby website.[3]

    Academy squad
    Connacht Rugby Academy squad

    Props

    • Charlie Ward (1)

    Hookers

    • Declan Adamson (2)
    • Eoin de Buitléar (1)
    • Dylan Tierney-Martin (3)

    Locks

    • Darragh Murray (1)
    • Cian Prendergast (1)

    Back row

    • Ciaran Booth (1)
    • Donnacha Byrne (1)
    • Hubert Costello (1)
    • Joshua Dunne (3)
    • Óisín McCormack (2)

    Scrum-halves

    • None

    Fly-halves

    • Cathal Forde (1)

    Centres

    • Shane Jennings (2)
    • Seán O'Brien (3)

    Wings

    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.[4][5]

      Senior team transfers
      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.

      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. Despite these moves technically happening during the previous season, they are included in the transfers listed here.

      • Player's name in italics indicates a transfer that took place after the start of the season

      Results

      Pro14
      Main article: 2020–21 Pro14
      2020–21 Pro14 Table
      Conference A
      Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP PTS
      1 Leinster 111001396161+235561910050
      2 Ulster 111001335180+15545246046
      3 Ospreys 11605215217-224251227
      4 Glasgow Warriors 10307177222-4521270315
      5 Dragons 10307168253-8519321114
      6 Zebre 11308157355-19815480113
      Conference B
      Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP PTS
      1 Munster 11902292185+10734184242
      2

      Connacht

      		 11605278243+3537325332
      3 Cardiff Blues 12606174203-2919221126
      4 Scarlets 12507200227-2720241425
      5 Edinburgh 10406165223-5818281219
      6 Benetton 100010161249-882130055
      If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order -[19]
      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 will compete in the Pro14 Final, and also earn a place in the 2021–22 European Champions Cup

      Blue background indicates teams outside the play-off places that earn a place in the 2021–22 European Champions Cup
      Yellow background indicates the fourth-ranked eligible teams in each conference that play-off against each other for the seventh place in the 2021–22 European Champions Cup
      Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2021–22 European Rugby Challenge Cup.
      (CH) Champions. (RU) Runners-up. (PO) Champions Cup play-off winners.

        Champions Cup
        Main article: 2020–21 European Rugby Champions Cup

        References
        1. "Connacht set to play in 24 team Champions Cup Rugby 2020/21". Sports News Ireland. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
        2. "Connacht appoint Willie Ruane as new CEO". Irish Independent. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
        3. "Connacht Rugby | Senior Squad". Connacht Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
        4. "Connacht Rugby | Academy Squad". Connacht Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
        5. @connachtrugby (30 August 2020). "CHANGES Matt Healy misses out so Academy player Diarmuid Kilgallen starts on the wing for his pro Connacht debut. Meanwhile Bundee Aki is named on the bench replacing Peter Robb. #MUNvCON Green circle #GuinnessPRO14" (Tweet). Retrieved 31 August 2020 – via Twitter.
        6. "Connacht announce signings of four players ahead of 2020/21 season". Connacht Rugby. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
        7. "Connacht promote six exciting academy prospects into their senior squad". The42. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
        8. "Former Ireland U20 international to provide second-row cover for Connacht". The42. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
        9. "Connacht Rugby announce signings of Ben O'Donnell and Abraham Papali'i". Connacht Rugby. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
        10. "Player Update | Alex Wootton". Munster Rugby. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
        11. "Connacht's McCartney to hang up boots". Irish Examiner. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
        12. "Connacht Rugby confirm departing players". Connacht Rugby. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
        13. "Bristol sign Niyi Adeolokun, Peter McCabe & Keiron Assiratti on short-term deals". BBC Sport. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
        14. "Joe Maksymiw: Dragons sign Wales-qualified lock from Connacht". BBC Sport. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
        15. "Connacht's Robin Copeland signs for French club on a three-year deal". The42. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
        16. "#TRANSFERT. Colby Fainga'a sera Lyonnais". Lyon OU Rugby (in French). 12 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
        17. "A complete team-by-team guide to the 2020 Shute Shield". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020. Former Waratah Dave Horwitz also returns from overseas to start at No.10
        18. "Force confirm Godwin, Holmes signings". Rugby.com.au. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
        19. Competition Rule 3.5 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro14. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
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