THE WEST’S awake. There was major despondency in the province at the end of last season, but the mood switched instantly to one of huge optimism after the shock signing of Stuart Lancaster as head coach.
Reports from within the Connacht set-up confirm that Lancaster has made a good impression in pre-season, instantly lifting standards, expectations, and work rate.
Friendly wins over Bristol and Bath have only added to the positive vibes, but Connacht need to deliver results in the URC and Challenge Cup when it really matters. After last season’s miserable 13th-place finish in the league, they have to be back in the top eight.
Lancaster is working with a very similar squad to the one that suffered such disappointment last time around, but the Englishman will back himself and his coaching staff – including new Aussie attack specialist Rod Seib – to get more from them.
Included in brackets after each player’s name is their age and number of Connacht caps in the format [age, caps].
Loosehead prop
- Denis Buckley [35, 265]
- Peter Dooley [31, 53]
- Jordan Duggan [27, 62]
- Temi Lasisi [24, 4]
The long-serving, hard-working Denis Buckley remains a key man for Connacht, starting and finishing last season as their first-choice loosehead. He’s 35 now but continues to earn his place, as well as providing 265 caps worth of experience.
Peter Dooley enjoyed plenty of starts last season and will again push to move past Buckley into the number one shirt for the biggest games, while powerful 27-year-old Jordan Duggan will also be vying to usurp that established pair.
Temi Lasisi, who can also play at tighthead, only got four appearances last season and unfortunately suffered a serious knee injury at Connacht’s in-house trial game last week so will miss the coming months.
Hooker
- Dave Heffernan [34, 219]
- Dylan Tierney-Martin [26, 57]
- Eoin de Buitléar [23, 14]
Dylan Tierney-Martin carries in pre-season against Sale. Paul Currie / INPHO
Paul Currie / INPHO / INPHO
Adam McBurney left for Romanian club rugby during the course of last season but there is a familiar look to Connacht’s hooking options.
The experienced Dave Heffernan’s power and size have helped him to maintain his role as the starter in this position, with the abrasive, agile Dylan Tierney-Martin backing him up over the course of last season.
Tierney-Martin will feel like this is his time to take another big step up, while 23-year-old Eoin de Buitléar will be keen to build on his two senior starts over the course of the last two seasons.
Tighthead prop
- Finlay Bealham [33, 219]
- Jack Aungier [26, 88]
- Sam Illo [24, 31]
Connacht’s Jack Aungier and Ben Murphy after their Ireland debuts in July. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Finlay Bealham returns from the Lions tour with his reputation as a pivotal figure for Connacht enhanced even further. If Lancaster wants to be successful, he knows Bealham’s quality at tighthead will be vital.
Yet it’s a further boost that second-in-line Jack Aungier made his Ireland debut off the bench against Georgia in July, reward for his steady, consistent development with Connacht and his performances for Emerging Ireland and Ireland A.
Bealham and Aungier are a good tighthead combination for the biggest games, while 24-year-old Sam Illo will look to apply pressure on them as he continues to build experience.
Second row
- Joe Joyce [31, 37]
- Darragh Murray [24, 39]
- Oisín Dowling [28, 77]
- Niall Murray [25, 82]
- David O’Connor [30, 8]
Connacht lock Niall Murray. Paul Currie / INPHO
Paul Currie / INPHO / INPHO
Connacht had another big international boost in this area of their squad with the highly-rated Darragh Murray making two starts for Ireland on their summer tour. He made big strides with the province last season too, and will be an influential figure moving forward.
The experienced Joe Joyce has been Connacht’s main lineout caller and brings power to the important grunt work around the pitch, while he’s a good leader.
Oisín Dowling is an aggressive, consistent presence but will miss the opening months of the season after knee surgery, which could mean Niall Murray – older brother of Darragh – coming back to the fore. Despite his lineout skills and athleticism, Murray was completely out of the selection picture for much of last season.
Of course, Josh Murphy is a regular second row starter for Connacht, as well as being able to play at blindside flanker. He generally featured in the number six shirt for Lancaster in their Leinster days so it will be interesting to see where Murphy’s relentless physicality is deployed this season.
30-year-old David O’Connor will be pressing to have an even bigger influence this season after making eight appearances in his first campaign with the province, providing blindside cover too.
Back row
- Cian Prendergast [25, 87]
- Shamus Hurley-Langton [25, 56]
- Paul Boyle [28, 116]
- Sean Jansen [26, 26]
- Josh Murphy [30, 39]
- Seán O’Brien [25, 13]
- Óisín McCormack [24, 2]
Shamus Hurley-Langton with Connacht fans. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Openside flanker Conor Oliver moved on at the end of last season and has joined Ealing in the English Championship, but Lancaster still has lots of interesting options to choose from in the Connacht back row.
Ireland international Cian Prendergast will be central to Connacht’s efforts as their skipper. The 25-year-old made the vast majority of his starts last season at blindside but he can play right across the back row with his complete skills set and power.
Kiwi Shamus Hurley-Langton, who will qualify for Ireland in mid-2027, has been the first-choice at openside thanks to his low-slung ball carrying, defensive grit, and breakdown expertise.
Direct number eight Paul Boyle enjoyed something of a resurgence last season, with his ball-carrying back to the fore, but Connacht also have the destructive Sean Jansen to call on in that role. Jansen is difficult to stop when he gets rolling.
As mentioned above, Josh Murphy is an excellent option at blindside, the dynamic Seán O’Brien will be hoping to bounce back from a frustrating season in which he had four starts pre-Christmas but then got injured, while 24-year-old Óisín McCormack is aiming to add plenty more caps to his two senior appearances so far.
Scrum-half
- Caolin Blade [31, 209]
- Colm Reilly [26, 28]
- Matthew Devine [23, 19]
- Ben Murphy [24, 16]
Matthew Devine is an exciting option at scrum-half. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
As with last season, this selection battle promises to be an intriguing aspect of Connacht’s season. Who will Lancaster fancy to drive his side on from the number nine shirt?
Ireland international Caolin Blade is hugely experienced and his nous shouldn’t be underestimated. In a fairly young squad, players like Blade can be worth their weight in gold.
Ben Murphy made a massive impact last season in his first campaign with Connacht, earning first-choice status and surging all the way to his first two Ireland caps off the bench in July. The clever, pacy 24-year-old will be aiming to pick up where he left off.
Galway man Matthew Devine will hope Lancaster’s arrival can signal his ascent to the top of the pecking order. La Rochelle tried to take the talented halfback on loan this season, but he’s still with Connacht, no doubt determined to go to the next level now.
The slick-passing Colm Reilly will be planning a far happier campaign after being limited to just one appearance last season.
Out-half
- Jack Carty [33, 220]
- Josh Ioane [30, 14]
Jack Carty extended his contract for another season. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
JJ Hanrahan has moved on to Munster, but centres Cathal Forde and David Hawkshaw, as well as fullback Harry West, can play at out-half so Connacht have other options beyond their two senior number 10s.
This promises to be another exciting aspect of Connacht’s campaign. Josh Ioane came in last season and showed off his thrilling attacking skills but also frustrated supporters with errors like missed kicks to touch. The one-cap All Black can shred defences with his brilliance, so he’ll be hoping to be steadier in the less glamorous out-half duties.
At one stage, Jack Carty was heading for the exit door after years of loyal service at Connacht. He was completely out of the selection mix for around three months in the second half of last season until plans changed and he was offered a new one-year deal.
Now the question is whether Lancaster can bring the best out of 33-year-old Carty, who is hugely experienced and was good enough to be starting Tests for Ireland in the past. His leadership and influence will surely be important to the squad.
Centre
- Bundee Aki [35, 151]
- Cathal Forde [24, 51]
- David Hawkshaw [26, 44]
- Hugh Gavin [21, 10]
- John Devine [21, 0]
Hugh Gavin made his Ireland debut in July. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The only fresh face in this area is academy product John Devine – younger brother of Matthew – who has yet to make his senior debut but is a smart, robust midfielder who will hope for a few chances this season.
The versatile Piers O’Conor joined Edinburgh during the summer, yet with Byron Ralston and Shane Jennings capable of playing at outside centre and new signing Sam Gilbert adept at 12, Connacht should have more than enough depth.
Ireland and Lions centre Bundee Aki will continue to be an energising figure when he features, although it’s likely that he, Bealham, and Mack Hansen will be more closely managed than ever following their long 2024/25 season.
Cathal Forde has developed into a confident, incisive figure at number 12 and is a real fan favourite in Connacht, while the nuggety, clever David Hawkshaw continues to deliver whenever called upon at 12 or 13.
Imposing 21-year-old outside centre Hugh Gavin will have learned a huge amount from his first season of senior rugby, while he also made his Ireland debut in July against Portugal, so will be aiming to kick on at international level too.
Back three
- Mack Hansen [27, 41]
- Shayne Bolton [25, 26]
- Sam Gilbert [26, 0]
- Shane Jennings [24, 23]
- Byron Ralston [25, 36]
- Chay Mullins [23, 8]
- Finn Treacy [21, 8]
- Harry West [22, 0]
Kiwi fullback Sam Gilbert. Photosport / Derek Morrison/INPHO
Photosport / Derek Morrison/INPHO / Derek Morrison/INPHO
Mack Hansen didn’t get his Lions Test cap in the end due to injury but he made a positive impression on the tour of Australia and will surely be as excited as anyone by the arrival of Lancaster.
His closing three appearances of last season with Connacht were at fullback, but Hansen has predominantly played on the right wing.
The powerful, confrontational Shayne Bolton made his Ireland debut in July, which should bring even more confidence to his game. The 25-year-old is adept on the left or right wing.
New Zealander Sam Gilbert will arrive after Otago’s NPC campaign, which could run until the end of October thanks to their strong form, and seems most likely to slot in at fullback. Gilbert can play in midfield and on the wing, but is at his best with the number 15 on his back.
A strong goal-kicker with a solid, well-rounded skillset, he looks like a good signing.
With John Porch, Santiago Cordero, and Andrew Smith all having left, there will be plenty of jostling for game time in the Connacht back three.
21-year-old wing Finn Treacy, who is seriously fast, earned a senior contract with his five tries in seven starts last season. The homegrown Shane Jennings is a versatile player who can bring razzle dazzle. The hard-edged wing/centre Byron Ralston is looking to bounce back from injury last season. Former 7s international Chay Mullins will aim to build on eight starts on the wing in 2024/25. And fullback Harry West, who was an out-half coming up through the ranks, is a new face on the block but is sidelined with injury at the moment.
Hugh Gavin can also play wing but given the options available to Lancaster, they shouldn’t need him there.
Academy
Big, powerful tighthead prop Fiachna Barrett is now in Year 3 of the academy and after getting his debut last season, the former Ireland U20 international will be pushing hard to make major progress, given that Connacht only have three senior tightheads.
Tighthead prop Fiachna Barrett made his debut last season. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Out-half Seán Naughton made his senior debut on the same day as Barrett against Zebre last December and will hope to continue learning from Carty and Ioane. Naughton has featured at fullback for Connacht in pre-season.
Fullback/wing James Nicholson and hooker Matthew Victory are the other Year 3 players hoping to earn senior deals.
Connacht have welcomed a new intake of eight players into Year 1, including five youngsters who came through the Leinster Schools system, as well as three from Connacht’s own pathway. Exciting Year 1 wing/fullback Daniel Ryan and imposing centre Seán Walsh were involved in the pre-season win over Sale.
The other academy players who featured in the pre-season games were Naughton, Barrett, Victory, and powerful Year 2 back row Max Flynn.
Year 1:
- Daniel Ryan [back three]
- Seán Walsh [centre]
- Conor O’Shaughnessy [out-half]
- Mikey Yarr [hooker]
- David Walsh [lock/back row]
- Aaron O’Brien [back row]
- Diarmaid O’Connell [back row]
- Bobby Power [back row]
Year 2:
- Tomás Farthing [scrum-half]
- Billy Bohan [loosehead prop]
- Max Flynn [back row]
- Éanna McCarthy [back row]
Year 3:
- James Nicholson [back three]
- Seán Naughton [out-half]
- Matthew Victory [hooker]
- Fiachna Barrett [tighthead prop]
