The Connacht scrum and contact skills coach Colm Tucker has taken over as interim leader of the provincial team, while head coach Pete Wilkins is reportedly on medical leave.
Wilkins, who became the Connacht head coach in 2023, was absent from his team's URC loss at the Ospreys on Saturday after recently being granted medical leave.
It is still uncertain if Wilkins will come back for Connacht’s match against Munster in Castlebar this weekend.
Wilkins' agreement as head coach extends until the summer of 2026, and it is anticipated that he will resume his role after this leave period concludes.
Tucker, who specializes in Scrum, was rumored to potentially join Munster for the upcoming season. However, he recently put an end to those speculations by announcing his decision to remain with Connacht.
This summer, Australian attack specialist Rod Seib is set to join the Connacht coaching team from the Brumbies as their new senior assistant coach. In connection with this move, current attack coach Mark Sexton will be transitioning to Ulster.
At the conclusion of this season, current defense coach Scott Fardy will leave the position, and Wilkins is anticipated to assume greater responsibility for that aspect of the team’s strategy. Meanwhile, forwards coach John Muldoon will continue in his role.
The match against Munster scheduled for Saturday at MacHale Park in Castlebar, County Mayo, is turning out to be crucial for Connacht, particularly considering the exciting factor of the new location and its fully booked attendance exceeding 25,000 spectators.
The westerners had a frustrating experience versus the Ospreys last weekend when their dazzling offense racked up 40 points yet their defensive errors led to conceding 43.
Certainly not the worst result for Connacht despite their loss, but they aim to put forth a stronger showing overall when Munster comes to Mayo next time.
It’s anticipated that Connacht will bring back their international players—captain Cian Prendergast, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, and Finlay Bealham—for this highly awaited provincial clash.
Connacht's loss to the Ospreys causes them to slip from ninth to twelfth place in the URC standings, yet they are only two match points away from securing a spot in the playoffs, keeping their chances very much alive.
They have a home Round of 16 tie in the Challenge Cup against Cardiff to come after the Munster clash, before their two-game URC tour of South Africa to face the Stormers and the Lions.
Even as they aim for advancement in the Challenge Cup, particularly since they're assured of home-field advantage all the way through to the semi-finals, Connacht’s final fixtures in the URC regular season include a match at home against Edinburgh followed by a trip to face Zebre.
Throughout the season, Connacht has been formidable in offense, scoring 48 tries which places them just after Leinster, Glasgow, and Munster in that category.
Nevertheless, Connacht have allowed opponents to score 44 tries and maintain an aggregate point differential of -22 across their 13 matches, with victories coming in just five of those encounters.
Given everything considered, they aim to put forth their best performance of the season this weekend when facing Munster.