Connacht Rugby to open 2014/15 campaign at home to Dragons

Connacht Rugby will open their 2014/15 Pro12 campaign with a home game against the Newport/Gwent Dragons – who finished one place above Connacht last season, solely on scoring difference – on the first weekend in September.

The fixtures for the newly-branded Guinness Pro12 were announced yesterday, and sees Lam’s side open and close their league campaign with home ties against Welsh outfits – their final game will be against the Ospreys on the weekend of May 15-17.

Their first away trip is on the second weekend of the season when they take on Edinburgh in Murrayfield; while the traditional Christmas derby features has been extended this year with a mini-interpros series set to take place, with Connacht facing all three other Irish provinces over the festive period.

They will take on Leinster in the RDS on the weekend of December 19-21; they are on the road again just after Christmas Day when they travel to Ravenhill – now to be called Kingspan Stadium – on the weekend of December 26-28; while the trio of games will be completed by the visit of Munster to the Sportsground  on the weekend of January 2-4.

Fixtures: Sep 5-7 Dragons (H); Sep 12-14 Edinburgh (A); Sep 19-21 Leinster (H); Sep 26-28 Glasgow (A); Oct 3-5 Cardiff (H); Oct 10-12 Treviso (A); Oct 31/Nov 1-2 Ospreys (A); Nov 21-23 Zebre (H); Nov 28-30 Scarlets (H); Dec 19-21 Leinster (A); Dec 26-28 Ulster (A); Jan 2-4 Munster (H); Jan 9-11 Edinburgh (H); Feb 13-15 Scarlets (A); Feb 20-22 Dragons (A); Feb 27-28/Mar 1 Treviso (H); Mar 6-8 Cardiff (A); Mar 27-29 Munster (A); Apr 10-12 Ulster (H); Apr 24-26 Glasgow (H); May 8-10 Zebre (A); May 15-17 Opsreys (H).