Cian Prendergast. James Crombie/INPHO

Prendergast fit to captain Connacht as Treacy handed first start

The Connacht skipper missed Ireland’s Six Nations clash with Wales due to illness.

CIAN PRENDERGAST RETURNS to captain Conancht in their URC meeting with Benetton in Galway tomorrow [KO 7.35pm, TG4/Premier Sports 2/URC TV].

Prendergast had been due to start on the bench for Ireland in Wales last weekend, but dropped out of the squad due to illness.

However the backrower has recovered to take his place in a Connacht team which shows four changes from the bonus-point defeat of Cardiff two weeks ago.

There is first start on the wing for Finn Treacy, who debuted off the bench against Glasgow last month.

Caolin Blade returns at scrum-half, while Darragh Murray and David O’Connor form a new second-row partnership.

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins said: “This is the second of two games which we knew would put us back into playoff contention if we win them. We got what we needed from Cardiff, so if we can further elevate our performance and pick up another win, we’re right in the mix.

“Benetton are a tough, physical side who have had the better of us the last few years, so we if can front up from the start and get the crowd behind us, we’ll give ourselves every chance.”

Connacht are currently 11th in the URC table, having won four from 11 league games this season.

Connacht:

  • 15. Piers O’Conor
  • 14. Shayne Bolton 
  • 13. Hugh Gavin 
  • 12. Cathal Forde 
  • 11. Finn Treacy
  • 10. Josh Ioane 
  • 9. Caolin Blade
  • 1. Peter Dooley
  • 2. Dave Heffernan
  • 3. Jack Aungier
  • 4. Darragh Murray
  • 5. David O’Connor
  • 6. Cian Prendergast (capt)
  • 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton
  • 8. Paul Boyle

Replacements:

  • 16. Dylan Tierney-Martin
  • 17. Denis Buckley
  • 18. Sam Illo
  • 19. Josh Murphy
  • 20. Oisín Dowling
  • 21. Matthew Devine
  • 22. JJ Hanrahan
  • 23. David Hawkshaw 
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