Template code no longer working in latest version of Connections

Hi there – any ideas why this PHP code which worked fine in version 0.7.0.4 no longer works in version 0.7.1.3?

$directory_query = array();
$directory_query['template_name'] = 'montand-vcard';
// extract the last name from the post title and search the connections db for it
$directory_query['last_name'] = substr(strrchr(trim(the_title('','',false)), ' '), 1);
$search_result = connectionsEntryList($directory_query);
echo $search_result;