Connacht in stormy waters ahead of summer of change

The weather forecast in Galway this evening is favourable, but Connacht are still bracing themselves for a storm.

With two games left in the regular schedule of the BKT United Rugby Championship, the province have their season on the line.

In the aftermath of last week's 47-12 defeat to Munster at Thomond Park, captain Jack Carty described this evening’s visit of the Stormers to Galway as a "cup final". On Tuesday, his head coach Pete Wilkins agreed that the play-offs start now.

Mathematically speaking, Connacht’s hopes of making the actual play-offs, and qualifying for next season’s Investec Champions Cup, could still be alive if they lose against the South Africans tonight (live on RTÉ2, 5:05pm).

In more realistic terms, if they can’t beat the Stormers at home, it’s hard to see them doing it away to Leinster next time out.

With two games to play, the 2016 champions are ninth in the table, five points and four points back from both Edinburgh and Benetton respectively, who occupy seventh and eighth in the table. Crucially, those sides will meet in Edinburgh in the final round of games on 1 June.

Eighth place will be enough for a spot in the play-offs, but it may not be enough for the Champions Cup. If the Sharks win the Challenge Cup next week, then whoever finishes eighth in the URC would have to go on and lift the trophy themselves in order to secure a place in Europe’s top-tier competition next season.

Financially, another season in the Champions Cup would make a big difference for Connacht, a point that will be illustrated this evening at the Dexcom Stadium.

The diggers have already moved into the Sportsground to begin construction on their new high-performance facility, and today’s visit of the Stormers will be their last