Agreed with you there 100%. Absolute gentleman. I'd imagine his behind the scenes impact was big, too.

He still thinks he's got a year or two left in him? Fair play. Nailed his colours to the mast there when he hints he'd like to come back in a coaching role.

Ive always thought Parks loved the place and the team, His tears along with Duffy proved that. Nice guy, first game which vs leinster was fantastic. Dont get me wrong, he had few disasters too. Connacht just tweeted this piece, nice read.

Parks on his time at Connacht
06th May 2014

Influential fly-half Dan Parks hopes that he can leave a legacy behind him at Connacht that will continue to serve the club for years to come.

Following a two-year spell on the west coast of Ireland, Parks is one of a number of players who will finish with the province at the end of the current season.

Having arrived as a marquee signing in 2012, he now wants to depart the club knowing he has helped shape the stars of the future in some way.

“When I first signed for Connacht it was about coming here, and moving the team forward. It was something I was really looking forward to and thought I could really make an impact,” the 35-year-old said.

“Last year we worked with a young team and a sprinkling of some older players. This year under Pat Lam’s regime, it’s been different, challenging and rewarding.

“One of my highlights has been to work with so many of the young players. Seeing the progression from Robbie Henshaw, Kieran Marmion, Tiernan O’Halloran, Eoin Griffin and others is brilliant.

“Hopefully I am leaving a bit of a legacy. I wanted to try and give these guys a bit of extra confidence and belief in themselves and I think this year it’s really come out.

“I hope there will be some of me left in them and that can spur them on for better things in the future, so I’m looking forward to seeing how those guys get on moving forward.”

In addition to taking some of the younger first-teamers under his wing, Parks has also been a part of the under-18s coaching team for the past year.

However, despite his success in the coaching role, the leading points scorer in RaboDirect PRO12 history isn’t ready to hang up his boots yet.

“I’m 36 in May and when I first signed for the club I saw it as a road to a coaching role down the line but I want to keep playing.

“I’m really enjoying myself here but I’ve always said that I don’t want to retire before I’m ready. The last thing I would want would be to sit there twiddling my thumbs and wondering, ‘what if I carried on?’

“I know longer term that I want to go into coaching and stay in the game because I love rugby, it’s my passion, but I feel as if I have a bit of time left to play.”

The halfback, who started out in the late 1990s, has enjoyed plenty of happy memories both on and off the field during his two years with Connacht.

Currently on 49 caps for the province, Parks can reach a half century should he feature against Ospreys this weekend, but it was his first ever appearance in the green jersey that he remembers most fondly.

“Our victory this season at Toulouse has to be one of the highlights. Winning four straight games towards the end of this season as well when we beat Edinburgh, Zebre, Treviso and the Dragons was great because we haven’t had a run like that for a while.

“Last year some people talk about the Heineken Cup wins but I guess my favourite memory is my first ever match, against Leinster.

“We had a big win that night [34-6] and it was my first taste in front of the passionate Sportsground crowd. Feeding off their energy and seeing how much it meant to the fans was a special moment and something I’ll never forget.

“The friendships I’ve picked up over the past two years is one of the main things I’ve come to love about Connacht and Galway. There are some lovely people here who treat you very well.

“That’s not to say I haven’t been treated well in other places, but I’ve been made to feel very welcome here. I’m quite sad about going but also optimistic for the future.”

Speaking to Parks his enthusiasm for the west coast of Ireland is obvious, even for the weather, which is remarkable for a man who grew up in the perpetual heat of Sydney, Australia.

Should the opportunity present itself the former Scottish international, capped 66 times, would snap at the chance to return to Connacht.

“Galway is brilliant, I love it. I live not far from Salthill and it’s a beautiful spot. Of course I would love to come back here in the future if it becomes a possibility. Firstly I’ve got to enjoy the last couple of weeks and then get myself sorted for the next couple of years.

“I just want to thank each and every fan for their support. I know sometimes at Connacht we haven’t always delivered when we should, especially at home this season.

“They’ve always been the 16th man and it really does make such a huge difference. For a relatively small ground it generates a lot of noise and enthusiasm and the whole squad appreciates it.

“Thank you for accepting me. It’s always important when you come to new places you get the crowd’s recognition and I feel like I’ve had that. I’ve made some great memories and friends.”

columoc wrote: Look, this is Dan Parks. He'll drive us mad; genius one day, duffer the next; both hero & zero. Saw him last yaer in Aviva vs. Leinster, awful! (though no more awful than the rest of Cardiff). He was great on Friday, he'll be great again, but he'll cost us matches too (has very low trajectory kick - plenty of block downs ahead); but Dan is just what we need right now to energise the backline and what EE now needs is to get a young understudy in behind him to learn his trade - some young 10 with real potential, not a journeyman. Suggestions on a postcard etc etc.

Columoc, I think you've nailed Parks pretty much square on. You just hope his brilliant games out number his nightmares. My feeling was that he was coming to Connacht not just as a player, but to coach the younger lads at outhalf and even the other backs. He seems to confirm this in his recent interview.

Creedence wrote: He probably looked like a loose cannon to them. We're like, 'woah dudes, we got ourselves a cannon!'

Beautifully put!

jack carty and daragh leader fit that bill!

salmson wrote:

ummm, wrote: ... to a man they all thought Parks was rubbish ... many thought if it wasn't for him we'd have won by even more.

Interesting perspective, and one I don't share whatsoever.

Utterly bonkers that.

He probably looked like a loose cannon to them. We're like, 'woah dudes, we got ourselves a cannon!'

columoc wrote: Look, this is Dan Parks. He'll drive us mad; genius one day, duffer the next; both hero & zero. Saw him last yaer in Aviva vs. Leinster, awful! (though no more awful than the rest of Cardiff). He was great on Friday, he'll be great again, but he'll cost us matches too (has very low trajectory kick - plenty of block downs ahead); but Dan is just what we need right now to energise the backline and what EE now needs is to get a young understudy in behind him to learn his trade - some young 10 with real potential, not a journeyman. Suggestions on a postcard etc etc.

dont hold that game against him. ALL the cardiff players couldnt give a shit. over half the team was already contracted to go elsewhere, parks included.

they saw what team leinster was sending out and they knew they were in for a hard time so they basically couldnt care, worse team performace i ever seen.

personaly for me as i see it, parks has played one game and that game was very well played.
showed us that the back line could do things i never seen before. no point giving out about him if hes playing good.

Look, this is Dan Parks. He'll drive us mad; genius one day, duffer the next; both hero & zero. Saw him last yaer in Aviva vs. Leinster, awful! (though no more awful than the rest of Cardiff). He was great on Friday, he'll be great again, but he'll cost us matches too (has very low trajectory kick - plenty of block downs ahead); but Dan is just what we need right now to energise the backline and what EE now needs is to get a young understudy in behind him to learn his trade - some young 10 with real potential, not a journeyman. Suggestions on a postcard etc etc.

Decadence wrote: Some people only judge outhalves on their kicking percentage...

There were a couple of silly kicks from 22 dropouts and such, but they obviously haven't been watching our backline lately as the difference in passing and speed was phenomenal.

That kick from the 22 dropout to McSharry was I am told, a training ground move they had been working on all week so I'd have more sympathy towards Parks in that situation, although the execution has to be better

Some people only judge outhalves on their kicking percentage...

There were a couple of silly kicks from 22 dropouts and such, but they obviously haven't been watching our backline lately as the difference in passing and speed was phenomenal.

if you go to the connacht thread on munster fans, the majority of posters there felt that fitsgibbon was only reffing connacht and prevented it from being a bigger victory. There were many leinster posters there strangely and they conceded he was just bad.

ummm, wrote: ... to a man they all thought Parks was rubbish ... many thought if it wasn't for him we'd have won by even more.

Interesting perspective, and one I don't share whatsoever.

Utterly bonkers that.

Was reading the match thread on the Leinster fans forum. Lots of anger at the ref, which was probably warranted in places but not too many, but to a man they all thought Parks was rubbish. I don't think that was sour grapes, many thought if it wasn't for him we'd have won by even more.

Interesting perspective, and one I don't share whatsoever.

10 out of 10 for Dan Parks. A wonderful performance, and I loved the way he continually talked the team through the game from start to finish.

+1

Dan Parks. He'll be kept.

The difference Parks made this evening was insane.

Firstly, I'be NEVER seen one of our outhalves shout so much at the rest of the backline. This was a good thing. In attack and defence he was roaring orders and it was pretty much bang-on all the way through.

Secondly, he varied it quite nicely. Nice dinks in behind the winder, garryowens, blasting it down the centre...he was there with precision.

Thirdly, his passing from hand was the start of tries #1, #2 and #3.

Finally, bless his immaculate sideburns.