In recent years, rugby in Connacht has slowly started to come into its own. With improvement at grassroots and underage level, progress has started to become evident at provincial level.

The 2011-12 Connacht qualified for the Heineken Cup by default thanks to Leinster’s win in the previous campaign.

That maiden campaign ultimately ended in disappointment. But despite finishing bottom of their pool, the men from the West did make an impact.

Eric Elwood’s men were eight minutes from a sensational away win at Gloucester until a late Jonny May try denied them a famous first-ever Heineken Cup victory.

But in their final pool game at The Sportsground they did get that maiden victory with Niall O’Connor’s boot leading them to a 9 – 8 win over Harlequins.

Valuable experience

And with Leinster retaining the Heineken Cup, Connacht got a second bite at the cherry in this season’s tournament.

Armed with valuable experience from last season and placement in the third tier for the 2012-13 pool draw, Connacht have impressed this time round.

They may have lost in atrocious conditions in Biarritz last night but this season's performance has been an improvement on the last campaign.

Two wins and from their first four games, including last week’s landmark win over Biarritz has given them a slight shot at progression from the pool.

Elwood will be hoping to build on the success that Connacht has achieved over the last two seasons.

But momentum will be harder to sustain if Connacht continue to lose their best players to their provincial rivals. 

The latest key player to move is inspirational lock Mike McCarthy who will join Leinster at the end of the season.

Well-trodden path

The Ireland cap is taking a well-trodden path following the likes of hooker Sean Cronin and Connacht all-time top try-scorer Fionn Carr to the east.

But this flow of all players from the West will only strangle the slow progress Connacht has been making.

They are already hampered by their IRFU designation as a “Development” team with 50 per cent of the budget of other provinces.

But an upgrading of status would create the incentive to increase development of the game in Connacht at grassroots level and have a knock on effect on Irish rugby.

In the short-term Connacht has provided a haven for fringe players from the other provinces.

But in the long-term it would be better to have four strong provinces producing players than just three.