Premiership
Munster v Connacht Team Announcement
- Mack Hansen starts first game since New Year’s Day
- Santiago Cordero returns from international duty with Argentina
- Debuts for Ben Murphy, Josh Ioane and Piers O’Conor
Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has named his matchday squad for tomorrow’s BKT United Rugby Championship opener away to Munster (k/o 5.30pm).
Cian Prendergast captains the side which includes several players either making debuts or returning from long absences. Mack Hansen starts his first competitive match since a serious shoulder injury on New Year’s Day, Santiago Cordero comes straight into the starting XV after featuring for Argentina in The Rugby Championship, and Josh Murphy also starts his first game since May 2023 after completing his medical placement.
There are also three players making their Connacht debuts – the new half-back duo of Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane, and Piers O’Conor at outside centre.
Prop Jack Aungier starts at tighthead alongside double centurions Denis Buckley and Dave Heffernan, while Joe Joyce and Darragh Murray are in the second row. Conor Oliver completes the pack as the openside flanker.
In the backs Cathal Forde is named at inside centre, while Shayne Bolton completes an exciting back three on the left wing alongside Hansen and Cordero.
Head coach Pete Wilkins says:
“We can’t wait to get the season going. It was a shorter and more intense pre-season than last year, with three productive games in the last few weeks, so now it’s about delivering what I believe we’re capable of.
We’re very fortunate to have over 40 players available to us. This has helped drive standards in training and competition for places, and gives us a nice challenge reducing the group to a matchday 23.
We know what to expect from Munster and Thomond Park, so it’s a brilliant opportunity for us to start the year on a positive note.”
CONNACHT RUGBY MATCHDAY 23 VS MUNSTER RUGBY
17:30, Saturday 21st September 2024 @ Thomond Park
Number/Name/Caps (* denotes uncapped)
15. Santiago Cordero (2)
14. Mack Hansen (32)
13. Piers O’Conor *
12. Cathal Forde (31)
11. Shayne Bolton (13)
10. Josh Ioane *
9. Ben Murphy *
1. Denis Buckley (248)
2. Dave Heffernan (200)
3. Jack Aungier (67)
4. Joe Joyce (21)
5. Darragh Murray (25)
6. Josh Murphy (18)
7. Conor Oliver (84)
8. Cian Prendergast (68) (C)
16. Dylan Tierney-Martin (36)
17. Peter Dooley (37)
18. Sam Illo (22)
19. Oisín Dowling (59)
20. Shamus Hurley-Langton (40)
21. Caolin Blade (192)
22. David Hawkshaw (30)
23. Sean Jansen (8)
Content & Images from – Connacht Rugby
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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