Connacht must use disappointment of defeats last season as motivation

Connacht returns to league action at home this weekend against Cardiff Blues following a three-week break since round 2.

The hype and excitement surrounding the ongoing World Cup in England and Wales should pique enough interest in the game of rugby locally to attract a few new faces in the crowd to the Sportsground this Saturday (kick-off, 5pm).

Connacht centre Robbie Henshaw has dominated the headlines this week with speculation about ‘will he, won’t he’ start this Sunday against Italy for Ireland’s crucial pool game.

He is the only player in head coach Joe Schmidt’s squad who has yet to taste World Cup action but that seems certain to change this weekend as the Athlone star trained fully on Tuesday.

Henshaw’s hamstring strain has cleared up and his is fighting fit and expected to be named at centre alongside Jared Payne. But back home in Galway, Connacht has a mini-crisis at centre in his absence.

With new signing Aiprana Pewhairangi still on the long-term injury list, Pat Lam also has to deal with fresh injuries to centres Dave McSharry and Shane O’Leary.

McSharry had surgery on Tuesday on a finger he broke while playing for UCD against Young Munster in the AIL on Saturday. It puts him out for about two months.

O’Leary, who slotted in at centre coming on as a substitute against Glasgow, is also ruled out with concussion sustained playing for Galwegians.

With those four centres unavailable, Pat Lam’s likely midfield will again be Bundee Aki and Australian-born Academy player, Rory Parata. This pairing has gelled reasonably well in the first two league games of the season, and the management will be hoping for no more injuries in this department.

Conor Finn may provide cover and Danie Poolman, more suited to the wing, is also more than capable of filling in at centre.

There was better news in the backs’ division with full-back Darragh Leader and winger Niyi Adeolokun returning to full training. Both are available this week, as is Eoin McKeon, who has been sidelined with a knee injury picked up against Dragons the first day out.

But it’s swings and roundabouts in the back-row because, although McKeon is fit, Eoghan Masterson has been ruled out with a hamstring strain. The team will be announced at noon on Friday.

Connacht already has six points in the bag from two games, and sit fourth in the league table. They will be targeting October as a month in which they can continue to climb up the table.

Of the four league games they have this month, three of them are at home and eminently winnable.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.