Mayo and Galway natives in Connacht team for Origin Round fixture
The Connacht team named by head coach Pete Wilkins for the BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with Cardiff Rugby features Mayo and Galway players in what is an 'Origin Round' fixture.
In the Origin Round, the BKT URC shines a spotlight on the identities of the clubs, schools and communities that do an incredible job of giving children the chance to first pick up a rugby ball and guide the lucky few good enough to reach the elite level.
The Connacht starting team for the game this evening (Saturday), which starts at 7.35 p.m. in Dexcom Stadim, Galway, features Dave Heffernan, who started his rugby at Ballina RFC, and Hugh Gavin and Cathal Forde, who began their careers at Galwegians and Corinthians respectively.
Gavin – who forms an exciting all-Galway centre partnership with Forde – is making his first start for his home province after two replacement appearances in October before then suffering an ankle injury which kept him out for over three months.
Forde, meanwhile, is one of five players that have come straight into the starting XV after training with Ireland during the Six Nations. The others are Jack Aungier, Cian Prendergast (captain), Ben Murphy and Shayne Bolton.
Josh Ioane starts at out-half, with Chay Mullins on the opposite wing to Bolton and Piers O’Conor at full-back.
In the pack, Heffernan is part of an unchanged front row alongside Peter Dooley and Aungier, while Josh Murphy moves from the back row to the second row alongside Joe Joyce. Prendergast starts at six, with Shamus Hurley-Langton, who makes his 50th appearance, on the opposite flank and Paul Boyle at number eight.
In anticipation of the game, head coach Pete Wilkins said: “We’re aware and appreciate there’s little room for error in the URC now. We need to string some wins together, and if we do that we’re right back into contention for a playoff spot.
”It was a long block from November to January so the lads had some good time off to refresh and reflect, and after the way they have been applying themselves since then, I’m confident we’ll get a big performance from all 23 players.”
In addition to the starters, other Connacht natives in the match day squad for this Origin Round game are Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians) and Matthew Devine (Ballinasloe).
The Connacht starting XV for the game against Cardiff is as follows: Piers O’Conor, Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin, Cathal Forde, Chay Mullins, Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle. The substitutes are: Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians), Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, J.J. Hanrahan, Santiago Cordero.