McCarthy extends contract with Connacht

Date Published: 24-Mar-2011

Dara Bradley

JOHN Muldoon makes a welcome return to Magners League action this Saturday (5.30pm) after a three-month injury layoff as Connacht face Aironi Rugby away in Italy, where they have been beaten twice already this season.

Muldoon, who broke/fractured his arm twice in the past nine months, played the full 80 minutes in Connacht A’s win over Leinster A last Saturday.

Although he is unlikely to appear in the starting team sheet, which will be announced later today (Friday), he is certain to make an appearance at some stage. Hooker Seán Cronin returns from Six Nations international duty, but out-half Miah Nikora was not considered for inclusion in the squad as he will be sidelined for two or three weeks with medial ligament damage.

Aironi are winless in this their inaugural Magners League season, but have earned four of their six losing bonus points at home the Stadio Zaffanella in Viadana, where they have proved difficult to breakdown.

The Italian minnows, despite suffering 17 straight defeats, have grown in confidence as the season progressed.

And given that one of their two away losing bonus points was achieved at College Road at the beginning of this month, Connacht are expected to field a strong team as they set their sights on overtaking Newport Gwent Dragons into 8th position in the table. Connacht will also look to avenge for the losses inflicted by Prato and Treviso on Italian soil earlier in the season.

Meanwhile, Elwood’s squad for the upcoming season was bolstered again this week when second row Mike McCarthy signed a contract extension that will see the Connacht centurion remain at the Sportsground until the end of the 2012/2013 season.

The London born former Newcastle, Wasps and England U21 player, who joined Connacht in 2003 for a year and returned again in 2007, earned his first cap in the Six Nations Championship for the Ireland Wolfhounds against the England Saxons in February.

On Wednesday, two Galway natives blindside flanker Andrew Browne and exciting young centre Eoin Griffin, who caught the eye when putting in a man-of-the-match display in Connacht’s 26- 22 victory over Samoa last November, have also both signed two-year contracts.

Connacht’s backrow options next season were strengthe

ned by the signing of Eoghan Grace from Exeter Chiefs. The Waterford native is a Munster Academy graduate and former Ireland U21 representative plays openside flanker but can cover any of the backrow positions.

Grace has signed a two-year deal and joins Connacht at the start of the new season. The news comes hot on the heels of the announcement of the resigning of prop Brett Wilkinson and the signing of back-row TJ Anderson from Ulster.