Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has changed up his team for the visit to Perpignan. Photo: Sportsfile

Prendergast returns to captain Connacht for visit to Perpignan

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Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has named his side for Sunday’s EPCR Challenge Cup meeting with Perpignan in France (kick-off 1 p.m. Irish time).

Club captain Cian Prendergast returns to lead the side for the first time since Ireland’s November internationals – the blindside flanker is joined by Shamus Hurley-Langton and Seán O’Brien in the back row.

There’s an all-new front row of Denis Buckley, Eoin de Buitléar and Sam Illo, while Joe Joyce returns from injury to come into the second row alongside Darragh Murray.

In the backs there’s a start for scrum-half Matthew Devine alongside Jack Carty, while Cathal Forde continues at inside centre and Byron Ralston comes in at outside centre.

There’s a shift in the back three, with Santiago Cordero moving to full-back, Andrew Smith making his first appearance of the season on the left wing, and fellow sevens Olympian Chay Mullins taking his place on the opposite wing.

The bench includes a 6:2 split, with Conor Oliver wearing number 23, while summer recruit Adam McBurney will make his Connacht debut if called upon.

Anticipating the fixture, Wilkins said: “This will be a great challenge for the group and one we’re looking forward to. Perpignan have a long and proud history, with a passionate fanbase behind them, so it’s a different test to what we’ve had so far this season.

“We’ve made a good start to the competition but these away games are very important in terms of our final standing in the pool, so I’m sure the group will relish the opportunity of picking up another win, albeit against a strong team.”

The Connacht starting XV in full is as follows: Santiago Cordero, Chay Mullins, Byron Ralston, Cathal Forde, Andrew Smith, Jack Carty; Matthew Devine, Denis Buckley, Eoin de Buitléar, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Joe Joyce, Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Seán O’Brien. On the replacements' bench are: Adam McBurney, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Paul Boyle, Ben Murphy, David Hawkshaw, Conor Oliver.

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