CONNACHT COULD BE boosted by the return of some key men for next weekend’s URC derby with Leinster at the Sportsground, with Paul Boyle and Mack Hansen both in line to feature.
Pete Wilkins’ side are currently in South Africa preparing for the second game of their two-game tour of the country before returning home next week for a massive Interpro clash in Galway on Saturday 2 December.
And speaking in London at the launch of the 2023/24 Investec Champions Cup season yesterday, back row Paul Boyle revealed he is hoping to make his first apperance of the campaign when Leinster come to town.
Boyle has missed the opening rounds of the new URC campaign after suffering a wrist injury in pre-season but clocked up some minutes with Buccaneers in the AIL last weekend. If all goes to plan, he’ll come back into the mix for selection when Connacht return from their South African mini-tour.
“I’m hoping to be back as soon as possible,” Boyle said.
“That Leinster game is the one I am aiming for. Obviously the boys are away (in South Africa) and training together all the time, so I don’t have any idea what that looks like. But I am fit and ready to go, so hopefully that Leinster game.”
The Connacht group who didn’t travel to South Africa have been training hard back in Galway with an eye to taking a big scalp at The Sportsground next weekend, and Boyle added that Ireland winger Hansen has been the one driving the standards as he eyes his own return to action.
“(We are) Probably training harder than we would be in a game week,” Boyle explained.
“It’s all the Academy and the lads that were left behind. Mack is back in training as well, aiming for that Leinster game. So, there is a good crew of us. We are making the most of an annoying situation.
Mack is on social duties. The week the beer tent goes up, Mack is put on social duties!
“It’s unreal. It’s only in a week like this, where it’s a down week, where lads could switch off training with the Academy, and he’s the guy driving the standards.
“That’s the great thing about him. Yes, he has the craic and he messes off the field, but when he’s training and he’s playing, he is the most serious guy out there.
“He really drives standards, he is a real leader in the squad. And I think that’s what’s most admirable about him. He’s not just this messer, who doesn’t care. He couldn’t be further from that. He is such a quality person.”
