CONNACHT ARE OPTIMISTIC that captain Cian Prendergast will be passed fit for Saturday’s huge Challenge Cup quarter-final at home to French side Racing 92.
Prendergast suffered a head injury during the URC defeat to Munster two weekends ago in Castlebar and missed the Challenge Cup round of 16 win over Cardiff last Saturday.
He continues to go through the graduated return-to-play protocols this week and though Connacht said they will wait until later this week to make a final decision on his availability against Racing, the outlook is optimistic.
“He’s working through his protocols, so we just have to get the outcome of that first,” said Connacht assistant coach Colm Tucker, who continues to lead the team while head coach Pete Wilkins is on sick leave.
“He’s in good form and he’s training away. We’d be positive there.
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“The process is 12 days so after that, every day he has to hit certain markers. Our medical team are outstanding in terms of monitoring that.
“I’m guided by those guys, but everything is tracking positively so far.”
Fullback/centre Piers O’Conor withdrew from last weekend’s win over Cardiff at a late stage but has now recovered from illness and is back in the mix, while loosehead prop Peter Dooley has also returned to full training after a calf injury.
Connacht are in good health, with back row Sean O’Brien [hamstring] and wing/centre Byron Ralston [knee] the only two players definitively ruled out this weekend.
Owen Farrell after Racing's win over Perpignan. Martin Seras Lima / INPHO
Martin Seras Lima / INPHO / INPHO
Racing won away to Perpignan in last weekend’s round of 16, continuing an uplift in their form.
The Parisians are still 11th in the Top 14 but have won five of their six games since the departure of Stuart Lancaster.
Patrice Collazo has come in as head coach until the end of the season and helped Racing to get back to winning ways, meaning Connacht are preparing for a huge battle on Saturday.
“Racing’s squad is so big, and it’s so packed with quality that they could bring any number of teams,” said Tucker.
“We’ve got to be massively focused on the threats they bring – Le Garrec, Owen Farrell, Fickou, the list goes on and on, Tuisova, so there’s loads of quality.
“Whatever they bring over will be stacked with quality. It’s being aware of their threats but focusing on our own structures and systems.
“You’re coming up against combinations you’re not used to coming up against. There’s that bit of an unknown to it.”
“When you rattle off the names you can see the challenge that they possess, the quality they have in their squad, but also how exciting it is to play against the international quality they have and test themselves at that level.”
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Connacht captain Prendergast in line to return for huge Racing clash
CONNACHT ARE OPTIMISTIC that captain Cian Prendergast will be passed fit for Saturday’s huge Challenge Cup quarter-final at home to French side Racing 92.
Prendergast suffered a head injury during the URC defeat to Munster two weekends ago in Castlebar and missed the Challenge Cup round of 16 win over Cardiff last Saturday.
He continues to go through the graduated return-to-play protocols this week and though Connacht said they will wait until later this week to make a final decision on his availability against Racing, the outlook is optimistic.
“He’s working through his protocols, so we just have to get the outcome of that first,” said Connacht assistant coach Colm Tucker, who continues to lead the team while head coach Pete Wilkins is on sick leave.
“He’s in good form and he’s training away. We’d be positive there.
“The process is 12 days so after that, every day he has to hit certain markers. Our medical team are outstanding in terms of monitoring that.
“I’m guided by those guys, but everything is tracking positively so far.”
Fullback/centre Piers O’Conor withdrew from last weekend’s win over Cardiff at a late stage but has now recovered from illness and is back in the mix, while loosehead prop Peter Dooley has also returned to full training after a calf injury.
Connacht are in good health, with back row Sean O’Brien [hamstring] and wing/centre Byron Ralston [knee] the only two players definitively ruled out this weekend.
Racing won away to Perpignan in last weekend’s round of 16, continuing an uplift in their form.
The Parisians are still 11th in the Top 14 but have won five of their six games since the departure of Stuart Lancaster.
Patrice Collazo has come in as head coach until the end of the season and helped Racing to get back to winning ways, meaning Connacht are preparing for a huge battle on Saturday.
“Racing’s squad is so big, and it’s so packed with quality that they could bring any number of teams,” said Tucker.
“We’ve got to be massively focused on the threats they bring – Le Garrec, Owen Farrell, Fickou, the list goes on and on, Tuisova, so there’s loads of quality.
“Whatever they bring over will be stacked with quality. It’s being aware of their threats but focusing on our own structures and systems.
“You’re coming up against combinations you’re not used to coming up against. There’s that bit of an unknown to it.”
“When you rattle off the names you can see the challenge that they possess, the quality they have in their squad, but also how exciting it is to play against the international quality they have and test themselves at that level.”
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Cian Prendergast Connacht Injury Update racing 92