Guinness PRO14 interviews brought to you by [Big Red Cloud](https://www.bigredcloud.com/) **Part two of Sean Holley’s exclusive interview with Connacht coach Andy Friend** “If your vegetable patch is strong, you are in a healthy spot.” These may sound like the words of a particularly keen gardener but for Connacht coach Andy Friend, it’s the mantra that sustains the Galway-based side. The vegetable patch he refers to is the pipeline of young talent coming through the system at the club and he believes a particularly big harvest is on the way. *“We are really proud of the development of the players who are coming throughout the academy,”* the Australian told Sean Holley in an exclusive interview for pro14.rugby. *“If your vegetable patch is strong – which is your academy – you are in a healthy spot. I tell my players they are good vegetables and they hate me saying it!* *“Paul Boyle in our back row, last year he was in the academy and we took him out after four games – he has a very big future.* *“Conor Fitzgerald coming out of the academy is another with a big future. When Jack Carty was away this year he stood up and did extremely well after a serious back injury he had in the offseason. He took the No.10 jersey and made it tough for Jack to get it back.* *“Conor Kenny is a tidy prop and, in the scrum sessions, if you’re the loosehead, you don’t want be backing against him. He is a beast of a man!* *“We got the boys to send us some stuff they were doing during this lockdown and he was dragging a bloody car around!* *“They are the three that stand out but there is probably a host I haven’t seen yet.”*
