Connacht Make Nine Changes For Visit Of Bulls

With Cian Prendergast in camp with Ireland, second row Joe Joyce will captain Connacht for Saturday’s BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with the Vodacom Bulls at Dexcom Stadium (kick-off 5.30pm). Buy match tickets here.

Head coach Pete Wilkins’ selection shows nine changes in personnel from last month’s 31-7 bonus point win over the Dragons, while a couple of positional switches see Piers O’Conor and Cathal Forde form a new centre partnership.

Dave Heffernan returns from Ireland duty to feature in the middle of an experience front row trio, with a total of 529 Connacht appearances between the Ballina man, fellow double centurion Denis Buckley, and Jack Aungier.

Joyce and Niall Murray complete the tight five, and Josh Murphy returns from suspension to make up a completely freshened-up back row alongside Conor Oliver and Emerging Ireland number 8 Sean Jansen.

Half-backs Jack Carty and Ben Murphy, and full-back Shane Jennings, will start against last season’s beaten finalists, and the latter will have Santiago Cordero and Shayne Bolton for company in the back-three.

Forde and Murphy are two of the joint-leading try scorers in the URC this season with four each to date. Murphy’s back-up at scrum half, Caolin Blade, is poised to make his 150th league appearance if he is sprung off the bench.

The westerners’ replacements also include Jordan Duggan, who is standing by to join the province’s 50-cap club, and fellow prop Sam Illo who has recovered from the ankle injury which has kept him out since the end of September.

Wilkins’ men are entering a busy period in the lead up to Christmas, with Saturday’s encounter with the high-flying South Africans followed by their opening EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures against Zebre Parma and Perpignan.

“The Bulls will be a massive challenge but one we’re looking forward to,” he said. “They have quality across the field and have that typical South African mix of strength in the forwards and speed in the backs.

“That said, we’ve had a really positive few weeks since our last game and can welcome back a few players from injury and international duty, so we’re in a good spot overall.

“This is the exact challenge we want to restart the season for us. Playing at home you want it to be a big challenge and an exciting spectacle for supporters.”

CONNACHT (v Vodacom Bulls): Shane Jennings; Shayne Bolton, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Joe Joyce (capt), Niall Murray, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Shamus Hurley-Langton.