Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster and Sean Jansen after their side’s victory over Ulster on Friday night. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
The power of the coach is sometimes overrated. Studies from the UK in football on the difference a new manager can make to a team’s performance reveal it to be at most 10 per cent over time, although there can be a more significant bounce in results in the short term when a manager is changed.
However, when the margins between teams are as tight as they are in the URC, Champions Cup or at international level, that 10 per cent can be the difference between a positive season or one filled with regret.