Connacht’s Denis Buckley gets ‘prince of thieves’ tag at the breakdown

It has been a month of personal rewards for Connacht prop Denis Buckley, but none will come bigger than a Connacht victory over Gloucester in the vital first-leg Champions Cup play-off on Sunday.

The 24-years-old, who was this week one of of eight Connacht players named on the Emerging Ireland squad, says that while delighted with his recent recognition, the imminent clash with the Challenge Cup champions has been his only focus.

“It’s my first time ever with any national team involvement that doesn’t include underage, so I am delighted. But while it’s great to get a bit of recognition, the main issue this week has been focusing on Gloucester, and I am just concentrating on getting a big win,” he says.