Connacht have announced a shake-up of their backroom staff with head coach Andy Friend taking up the Director of Rugby role, while Peter Wilkins steps up as head coach.
Colm Tucker has moved to a new role of scrum and contact coach, while Mossy Lawler has filled the gap left by Wilkins, and been promoted from assistant to head attack and skills coach. Forwards coach Dewald Senekal will be responsible for the lineout and maul.
Wilkins was part of Ireland's recent tour of New Zealand, where he became the latest provincial coach the avail of the tradition of travelling with the international squad on the summer tour.
The Englishman has been part of the Connacht set-up since 2017, having previously coached with the Queensland Reds and Edinburgh.
Andy Friend, New DOR
21 May 2022; Connacht head coach Andy Friend after the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Zebre Parma at The Sportsground in Galway. Photo by George Tewkesbury/Sportsfile
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Andy Friend will begin his fifth season with the province, where he is an immensely popular figure, having ingrained himself, like Pat Lam before him, into the Connacht culture and added to the ethos at the club.
And while results and performances have been underwhelming on a number of occasions in big games over the last couple of seasons, there is still the feeling that he is doing a fine job with the resources at his disposal.
He has also shown a knack for finding, in his own words, 'diamonds in the rough', with Mack Hansen being an exemplary example of this.
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