BUNDEE AKI AND FINLAY Bealham returned to the Dexcom Stadium in Galway this Tuesday morning for medical assessment but with both having been given the week off after winning the Six Nations with Ireland at the weekend, Connacht coach Pete Wilkins needs to decide whether they will make their return in Italy or France in the coming weeks.
And Wilkins is also confident that Irish winger Mack Hansen, who missed the Six Nations with a shoulder injury picked up against Munster, will be available towards the end of next month for the business end of the season.
Connacht, currently seventh in the URC in a mid-table which sees just five points separate Edinburgh in fourth and the Lions in 11th, return to league action at the Dexcom Stadium this Saturday when the Lions rock up in Galway.
“Bundee and Finlay and all the national players have this week off in terms of recovery from the Six Nations. Bundee and Finlay have actually been in the building today in terms of medical check-ups and just to touch base but they have a week’s leave this week and a little bit of rehab and then they will be back with us from next week onwards,” said Wilkins.
Connacht travel to Treviso to face Benetton the weekend after next — in what could be a dress rehearsal for a potential Challenge Cup quarter-final — and then head to the south of France to meet Pau in a European knockout clash.
“In theory they will be on the ground from our Benetton week onwards but obviously we will have a check on them physically and mentally and see how they are trekking and see who is going to be ready for that,” added Wilkins.
Connacht are boosted by the return of scrum-half Colm Reilly (ankle), promising back three prospect Shane Jennings (ankle), Munster-bound winger Diarmuid Kilgallen (thigh) and back rower Oisin McCormack (also thigh).
But they have lost lock Oisín Dowling to an ankle injury, while hooker Dylan Tierney-Martin is to see a specialist on Wednesday about a neck problem, and John Porch’s injury-ravaged season is continuing with a knee injury that required surgery three weeks ago and keeps him out, along with versatile back three player Shayne Bolton as Connacht head into the closing stages of the season in control of their own destiny in both competitions.
“It is really exciting. We knew with the run of fixtures we had particularly with those nine games and what was then coming up in this period, we knew there would be a lot of movement in the table, partly because we had a lot of games against teams in the top half of the table in those early rounds and partly because we have got fixtures against teams who are around us.
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say a win counts as double but it certainly has a big impact on the competition, so it is hugely exciting for us,” added Wilkins.
