Boost for Connacht as skipper Muldoon set to face Dragons

Connacht have been boosted by the availability of their skipper John Muldoon ahead of their opening Guinness Pro12 game of the season against Dragons on Saturday.

However, despite not playing since the last day of last season Irish international centre Robbie Henshaw is not available because of the Irish player welfare programme, while Kieran Marmion who toured Argentina with Ireland during the summer, also misses out for welfare reasons.

On the positive side, Connacht’s newest international, tight-head Rodney Ah You, is available to Lam, while fellow prop Ronan Loughney and forward Aly Muldowney are also expected to be fit after they made their return to training yesterday (MON).

New signing from Grenoble, Shane O’Leary, has been ruled out by Lam though due to a dead leg, while Galway natives Andrew Browne and Tiernan O’Halloran will both miss the opening three rounds of games due to knee injuries.

Muldoon was forced to sit out the last two week’s training and missed the province’s final pre-season clash with Wasps two weekends ago because of a strained hamstring, but Lam is happy to have a strong squad to chose from ahead of Saturday’s tussle. A good start is key, he said.

“It’s massive, we know that. We have been building towards this all our pre-season about getting a good start.

“This season we are better prepared because obviously coming in new, everyone was new and particularly myself. I know these guys pretty well now and they know what we are trying to do and what we are building on.

“So our starting place for pre-season this year is totally different from last year we are building on what we did last year so we are better prepared – but so is everyone else,” said Lam, who is hoping to lead Connacht into the top six for the first time in their history.

Facing into the season opener without arguably their two best players is not ideal for Lam, but the coach confirmed that both Henshaw and Marmion will be available for their second game away to Edinburgh next week.

Henshaw had surgery on a hand injury during the summer, but according to Lam he’s fit and raring to go.

“Yeah he’s a lot better, Robbie is ready to go. They have been training fully with us for a few weeks now so they are itching to get going so he will be ready the following week.

“Yeah (it’s frustrating), but at the end of the day I think we will just be satisfied with just two. The other provinces are dealing with a lot more. It would be nice to have them out there but it is just a chance for the others to play and those two will come back the following week,” said Lam.