Connacht are boosted by the return of forwards Dylan Tierney-Martin and Darragh Murray for Friday’s United Rugby Championship [URC] quarter-final away to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun [19:45 BST].
The pair represent two of five changes made by coach Stuart Lancaster for the last eight clash with Tierney-Martin replacing Eoin de Buitléar at hooker, while Sam Illo sin place of Finlay Bealham at tight-head prop.
In the second row, Joe Joyce drops out to accommodate Murray’s return, while Paul Boyle comes in for the injured Sean Jansen at number eight in a back row that also contains team captain Cian Prendergast and Shamus Hurley-Langton.
The sole change in the backs sees John Devine in for the injured Harry West at outside centre and will play alongside Bundee Aki.
The half-back partnership of Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane remains, as does the back three of wingers Shayne Bolton and Shane Jennings, plus full-back Sam Gilbert.
Dave Heffernan is fit again for a place on the bench, while Sean O’Brien is named as the back row replacement Hugh Gavin takes the place of the unavailable Jack Carty on the bench.
“This is exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season, so credit must go to all the players for what they’ve displayed in the last few months to get us to this position,” Lancaster said.
“Now we have to go out there and seize the opportunity. Glasgow are a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players who are very well coached, but we are excited by the challenge ahead of us.”
Connacht: Gilbert; Jennings, Devine, Aki, Bolton; Ioane, Murphy; Bohan, Tierney-Marti, Illo, Murphy, Murray, Prendergast (capt.), Hurley-Langton, Boyle.
Replacements: Heffernan, Dooley, Bealham, Joyce, O’Brien, Devine, Gavin, Naughton.
