Connacht Eagles Include Heenan And O’Halloran For Germany Game

The Connacht Eagles, sponsored by NUI Galway, will play national side Germany at the Sportsground on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 2.30pm).

Ireland Under-20 and Connacht Eagles head coach Nigel Carolan has once again named a mixture of senior, Academy and club players to line out this weekend following the Eagles’ 17-0 win over Leinster ‘A’ last week.

The most notable inclusion in the matchday squad is senior flanker Jake Heenan who makes a playing return after recovering from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of action for the last five months.

Galway man Tiernan O’Halloran (pictured below) will also play his first game for a Connacht side this season after completing successful rehab on his knee injury. The 23-year-old starts at full back on Saturday in a back-three combination with David Panter and Shane Layden.

Shane O’Leary, who kicked seven points for the Eagles against Leinster ‘A’, and John Cooney are both retained at half-back.

Centre Ciaran Gaffney, prop Conan O’Donnell and second row Cian Romaine, who were all named in the Ireland U-20 squad yesterday, will start at the Sportsground, while other U-20 Six Nations hopefuls Stephen McVeigh and Rory Moloney are included among the replacements.

With the shortage of props for the Eagles side this weekend, Rodney Ah You, who was due to be rested this week, has been called in to offer cover from the bench.

CONNACHT EAGLES (v Germany): Tiernan O’Halloran; David Panter, Ciaran Gaffney, Rory Parata, Shane Layden; Shane O’Leary, John Cooney; Jacob Walshe, Shane Delahunt, Conan O’Donnell, Cian Romaine, Peter Claffey, Mata Fifita, Jake Heenan, Eoghan Masterson (capt).

Replacements: Pat O’Toole, Conor Kyne, Rodney Ah You, Stephen McVeigh, Rory Moloney, Conor McKeon, Aidan Moynihan, Dwayne Corcoran.