Connacht Resume League Campaign With Llanelli Trip
After a two-week break from games, the Connacht squad are looking forward to their trip to Wales to play the Scarlets on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 12.45pm).
The Llanelli side are currently in eighth place, five points behind sixth-placed Connacht and having beaten Scarlets 14-8 in Galway in round 9, Pat Lam’s men will be going for a first ever PRO12 season’s double over Welshmen.
In advance of the team announcement on Friday, the Connacht medical team provided the following update on injured players.
Michael Swift fractured his leg in Connacht Eagles’ win over Ulster Ravens last week. The 37-year-old is looking at six to eight weeks on the sidelines.
Willie Faloon dislocated his shoulder in the European Challenge Cup victory over La Rochelle last month. The medical team have reported that the 28-year-old is progressing well since the injury and it is hoped that surgery will not be necessary which further scans and a review with the surgeon next week will determine.
If no surgery is required, Faloon is expected to return in time for the Connacht v Benetton Treviso GUINNESS PRO12 clash on March 1.
Craig Ronaldson has returned to full training following the quad injury he sustained in the warm-up prior to the Connacht v Exeter game last month. The out-half is expected to be available for selection next week when Connacht travel to play Newport Gwent Dragons.
Scrum half Ian Porter returned to training on Monday after recovering from the foot sprain that has kept him out of action for 10 weeks.
Porter may be called upon as early as this week, as Kieran Marmion remains on international training duty and John Cooney has been recalled to Leinster this week. Academy scrum half Caolin Blade is available for selection.
Meanwhile, returning players Jake Heenan, Michael Kearney and Tiernan O’Halloran are all available for selection this week after the trio got game-time with the Connacht Eagles in their last two fixtures.
Centre Dave McSharry, who celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday, returned to training last week having cleared all concussion protocols. He is also available for selection this week.