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.
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. The competition resumed in August, with the remaining fixtures replaced by two rounds of derby games for each team. 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.
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 Team Manager Tim Allnutt Head coach Andy Friend Forwards Coach Jimmy Duffy Backs Coach Nigel Carolan Defence Coach Peter Wilkins Senior Video Analyst Simon Kavanagh Head of Strength and Conditiong David Howarth Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach Johnny O'Connor Academy Manager Eric Elwood Connacht Eagles Coach Mossy Lawler
Players Senior playing squad Connacht Rugby Pro14 squadProps Jack Aungier Finlay Bealham Denis Buckley Matthew Burke Rory Burke Jordan Duggan Conor Kenny Paddy McAllister Dominic Robertson-McCoy*
Hookers Shane Delahunt Dave Heffernan Tom McCartney* Jonny Murphy
Locks Ultan Dillane Óisín Dowling Joe Maksymiw* Eoghan Masterson Niall Murray Seán O'Brien Quinn Roux Gavin ThornburyBack row Paul Boyle Jarrad Butler (c) Robin Copeland Colby Fainga'a Cillian Gallagher Seán Masterson Eoin McKeon Conor Oliver Abraham Papali'i
Scrum-halves Caolin Blade Stephen Kerins Angus Lloyd Kieran Marmion Colm Reilly
Fly-halves Jack Carty Conor Dean Conor Fitzgerald David HorwitzCentres Bundee Aki Sammy Arnold Tom Daly Tom Farrell Kyle Godwin Peter Robb
Wings Niyi Adeolokun Matt Healy Stephen Fitzgerald Ben O'Donnell John Porch Peter Sullivan Alex Wootton
Fullbacks Will Goddard* Darragh Leader Tiernan O'Halloran (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.
Academy squad
Connacht Rugby Academy squadProps Jordan Duggan (2)
Hookers Declan Adamson (1) Dylan Tierney-Martin (2)
Locks Niall Murray (2)Back row Joshua Dunne (2) Seán Masterson (3) Oisín McCormack (1) Mikey Wilson (2)
Scrum-halves Colm Reilly (2)
Fly-halves Luke Carty (3) Conor Dean (2)Centres Shane Jennings (1) Seán O'Brien (2)
Wings Conor Hayes (2) Hugh Lane (1) Oran McNulty (2)
Fullbacks Colm de Buitléar (3) (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.
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
Players in PR Matthew Burke promoted from Academy PR Rory Burke from Nottingham PR Conor Kenny promoted from Academy PR Paddy McAllister from Gloucester BR Paul Boyle promoted from Academy SH Stephen Kerins promoted from Academy SH Angus Lloyd from Clontarf FH Conor Fitzgerald promoted from Academy CE Tom Daly from Leinster WG Stephen Fitzgerald from Munster WG John Porch from Australia Sevens FB Will Goddard from Brumbies Academy (short-term loan)
Players out PR Conor Carey to Worcester Warriors PR Conán O'Donnell to Sunwolves LK James Cannon to Ealing Trailfinders LK Peter Claffey to Terenure College BR James Connolly to Nottingham SH Conor McKeon retired SH James Mitchell to Northampton Saints FH Craig Ronaldson to Lansdowne CE Eoin Griffin retired FB Will Goddard to Brumbies Academy (end of loan) FB Cian Kelleher to Leinster
May 2020 – August 2020
Players in PR Jack Aungier from Leinster PR Jordan Duggan promoted from Academy LK Óisín Dowling from Leinster LK Niall Murray promoted from Academy BR Seán Masterson promoted from Academy BR Conor Oliver from Munster BR Abraham Papali'i from Bay of Plenty SH Colm Reilly promoted from Academy FH Conor Dean promoted from Academy CE Sammy Arnold from Munster WG Ben O'Donnell from Australia Sevens WG Peter Sullivan promoted from Academy WG Alex Wootton from Munster (season-long loan)
Players out HK Tom McCartney retired PR Rory Burke released PR Peter McCabe to Bristol Bears LK Joe Maksymiw to Dragons BR Robin Copeland to Soyaux Angoulême BR Colby Fainga'a to Lyon BR Eoin McKeon released SH Angus Lloyd retiring FH David Horwitz to Randwick CE Kyle Godwin to Western Force WG Niyi Adeolokun to Bristol Bears FB Darragh Leader released
Results Pro14
Conference Rounds 1 to 13
Additional Derby Rounds
Champions Cup
Pool 5
Notes
References