CONNACHT BOSS ANDY Friend says the province still have three new signings to announce for next season, including a non-Irish-qualified [NIQ] player.
The western province’s season ended on Saturday as they lost to Ulster in the Guinness Pro14 quarter-finals.
It has been a positive campaign overall for Friend’s side, however, with a return to the Champions Cup next season secured.
Andy Friend confirmed more signings are on the way. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
Connacht have already confirmed the signing of Irish prop Paddy McAllister from Gloucester, while scrum-half Angus Lloyd has been announced as a new addition.
Tom Daly and Stephen Fitzgerald, currently on loan from Leinster and Munster, have also been confirmed as permanent signings ahead of next season.
Friend has now confirmed that Connacht have a further three new players to announce in the coming weeks, including an NIQ addition.
“There’s probably another three names that we’ll be announcing in due course,” said Friend. “We’ve got one NIQ player coming in and two other Irish-qualified players.”
Friend will be hopeful that the new players can make an impact as Connacht look to push on next season.
The Australian boss identified his team’s ability to take their chances as a key improvement they will target in 2019/20.
“We created a lot of opportunities throughout the course of the year and today was not dissimilar,” said Friend after Connacht’s 21-13 defeat to Ulster.
“We’ve probably got to be a bit more clinical in how we finish those opportunities off and just lapses in games where, I said it through the week, we still haven’t played our best 80 minutes of football.