SHAYNE BOLTON’S RETURN on the right wing is one of the six changes that Connacht have made to their starting side for Saturday’s pivotal URC clash with the Lions in Johannesburg (3pm, TG4/Premier Sports).
Ireland ‘A’ international Bolton, who missed last weekend’s narrow defeat to the Stormers, will line out from the start in his homeland, while hooker Dave Heffernan, locks Josh Murphy and Joe Joyce, number eight Sean Jansen and scrum-half Matthew Devine also come into Connacht’s starting XV.
Connacht’s 5-3 bench split includes a spot for centre Hugh Gavin, who was injured for the Stormers game in Cape Town, and also sees the return of hooker Eoin de Buitléar who has missed the last two months having undergone surgery on his thumb.
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Connacht currently sit in 12th place, five points outside the URC play-off spots, but defeat to the Stormers with two bonus points left them in an arguably more favourable position than that in which they found themselves before Cape Town, with play-off rivals Ospreys, Edinburgh, Ulster and Scarlets all losing last weekend.
The Lions, meanwhile, are third from bottom and all but out of play-off contention after shipping 42 points at home in an error-strewn performance against Benetton during their previous outing.
Connacht (v the Lions)
15. Piers O’Conor
14. Shayne Bolton
13. David Hawkshaw
12. Cathal Forde
11. Shane Jennings
10. Jack Carty
9. Matthew Devine
1. Peter Dooley
2. Dave Heffernan
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Josh Murphy
5. Joe Joyce
6. Cian Prendergast (Captain)
7. Conor Oliver
8. Sean Jansen
Replacements:
16. Eoin de Buitléar
17. Jordan Duggan
18. Sam Illo
19. Oisín Dowling
20. Paul Boyle
21. Colm Reilly
22. Hugh Gavin
23. Santiago Cordero
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Bolton returns as Connacht make six changes for pivotal Lions clash
SHAYNE BOLTON’S RETURN on the right wing is one of the six changes that Connacht have made to their starting side for Saturday’s pivotal URC clash with the Lions in Johannesburg (3pm, TG4/Premier Sports).
Ireland ‘A’ international Bolton, who missed last weekend’s narrow defeat to the Stormers, will line out from the start in his homeland, while hooker Dave Heffernan, locks Josh Murphy and Joe Joyce, number eight Sean Jansen and scrum-half Matthew Devine also come into Connacht’s starting XV.
Connacht’s 5-3 bench split includes a spot for centre Hugh Gavin, who was injured for the Stormers game in Cape Town, and also sees the return of hooker Eoin de Buitléar who has missed the last two months having undergone surgery on his thumb.
Connacht currently sit in 12th place, five points outside the URC play-off spots, but defeat to the Stormers with two bonus points left them in an arguably more favourable position than that in which they found themselves before Cape Town, with play-off rivals Ospreys, Edinburgh, Ulster and Scarlets all losing last weekend.
The Lions, meanwhile, are third from bottom and all but out of play-off contention after shipping 42 points at home in an error-strewn performance against Benetton during their previous outing.
Connacht (v the Lions)
15. Piers O’Conor
14. Shayne Bolton
13. David Hawkshaw
12. Cathal Forde
11. Shane Jennings
10. Jack Carty
9. Matthew Devine
1. Peter Dooley
2. Dave Heffernan
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Josh Murphy
5. Joe Joyce
6. Cian Prendergast (Captain)
7. Conor Oliver
8. Sean Jansen
Replacements:
16. Eoin de Buitléar
17. Jordan Duggan
18. Sam Illo
19. Oisín Dowling
20. Paul Boyle
21. Colm Reilly
22. Hugh Gavin
23. Santiago Cordero
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Connacht Rugby Shuffle URC