Poolman made his debut for Connacht in the 2012–13 Pro12 as a replacement against the Ospreys on 27 October 2012. He made his first start in the team's next Pro12 game, against Benetton Treviso on November, and also scored his first try for the side. Poolman made his European debut for Connacht on 7 December 2012 against Biarritz in the 2012–13 Heineken Cup. He played in three of the team's Heineken Cup matches in his debut season, and made 16 Pro12 appearances, scoring 5 tries. He left Connacht at the end of the 2016-17 season