Hurley-Langton creating a name for himself in Connacht

The performances of Shamus Hurley-Langton have been one of the reasons for Connacht’s superb run since January in the league which has taken from languishing in the lower half of the table to within 80 minutes of reaching the final against Leinster or Munster.

SETTLING IN: Shamus Hurley-Langton is finding his way with Connacht. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

His name suggests he might be a hurler from Kilkenny but while there isn’t a drop of Irish blood in Shamus Hurley-Langton he is quickly becoming a fans’ favourite with Connacht as his performances drive them within sight of repeating the glory season of 2016.

The performances of Hurley-Langton, a native of Taranaki on the North Island in New Zealand, have been one of the reasons for Connacht’s superb run since January in the league which has taken from languishing in the lower half of the table to within 80 minutes of reaching the final against Leinster or Munster.

Hurley-Langton, who turned 23 last month, joined Connacht last summer from Manawatu Turbos and from the outset forced his way into the team. A versatile player who can perform across the back row, he has played in 19 of their 24 matches this season, starting in ten of them.

And he produced a man of the match display last weekend as Connacht ousted Ulster 15-10 in Belfast to set up Saturday’s URC semi-final showdown with the reigning champions the Stormers in Cape Town.

Hurley-Langton looks set to be a key man next season and beyond for Connacht when Pete Wilkins takes charge, but he appreciates the impact Andy Friend has had on his career and he’s anxious to send the Aussie out on a high.

“We have a lot of players and coaches leaving at the end of the season and we want to give them the send-off they deserve performance,” he said after spearheading the surprise win over Ulster.

“In the last few weeks we knew we had it in us. Ulster are a class outfit but we knew if we played our best game then we could get a result.

"We had to stay in every moment. We had to stay cool, we came into the huddles and knew we needed to stay calm and play ever play.”

Wilkins said that Hurley-Langton reckons the Kiwi can finish out the season on a high and he’s looking forward to seeing what he produces next season.

"He’s rugged, resilient, determined, unbelievably powerful for a man of his size, he's been brilliant and we've seen glimpses of it this season.

“But I think he's now got the confidence that he can impose his game on any sort of scenario, so it's an exciting time to be working with him,” said Wilkins.

Connacht arrived in South Africa on Wednesday and had a good training session this Thursday and will have a captain’s run at Cape Town Stadium on Friday before the Saturday afternoon (3pm Irish) clash with the champions.

They will select from a full hand, having brought the 23 who did duty in Belfast with six more players added to the squad for the trip to Cape Town as they bid to qualify for what would be only the second final in their history.