Connacht Rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster has named his matchday squad for tomorrow’s BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with Ospreys at Dexcom Stadium (k/o 2.15 pm). There are six changes from the side that secured a bonus point win in Belfast last week. With Cian Prendergast on a down week, Paul Boyle captains the side at number 8, while there’s a first appearance in over three months for Shamus Hurley-Langton. He replaces Sean Jansen, who has been ruled out of the game with a calf injury. Niall Murray comes into the second row to partner his brother Darragh, while Denis Buckley comes in for his 275th appearance at loosehead prop, having missed the last two weeks with injury. He forms a vastly experienced front row with Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham. The final changes are at 9 and 10, where the partnership of Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane starts from the off, having impressed off the bench last week. The rest of the backs are unchanged, with a centre pairing of Bundee Aki and Cathal Forde, and a back three of wingers Finn Treacy and Shane Jennings, and full-back Sean Naughton. The coaches have opted for a 6:2 split on the bench, with Jack Carty covering the back field and Oisín McCormack wearing the number 23 jersey. Limited tickets are still available at connachtrugby.ie, as the squad aim to win five consecutive league games for the first time in three years.
Head coach Stuart Lancaster knows how big a game it is for both sides:
Connacht squad v Ospreys, Saturday 28th March, 14:15 @ Dexcom Stadium
Number/Name/Caps
15. Sean Naughton (11)
14. Shane Jennings (31)
13. Cathal Forde (67)
12. Bundee Aki (160)
11. Finn Treacy (18)
10. Josh Ioane (27)
9. Ben Murphy (30)
1. Denis Buckley (274)
2. Dave Heffernan (229)
3. Finlay Bealham (227)
4. Niall Murray (92)
5. Darragh Murray (52)
6. Josh Murphy (55)
7. Shamus Hurley-Langton (59)
8. Paul Boyle (130) (C)
16. Matthew Victory (4)
17. Billy Bohan (7)
18. Sam Illo (42)
19. David O’Connor (19)
20. Sean O’Brien (27)
21. Matthew Devine (27)
22. Jack Carty (231)
23. Oisín McCormack (4)
Unavailable: Caolin Blade, Shayne Bolton, Oisín Dowling, Sam Gilbert, Hugh Gavin, David Hawkshaw, Mack Hansen, Sean Jansen, Temi Lasisi, Cian Prendergast, Byron Ralston, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Harry West.
