Wilkins ready for block of games that will define Connacht's season

The western province face a tough task in Durban against the Sharks on Saturday afternoon. 

COMEBACK KID: Finlay Bealham. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins knows that this block of games between now and mid-January is going to define their season as they play two matches in South Africa, three Irish derbies and four Champions Cup ties.

It’s a hectic schedule and Wilkins, who has left World Cup stars Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki at home to nurse injuries from the tournament in France, knows he needs to manage his resources.

But he can’t look beyond the opening test in Durban this Saturday afternoon when they will encounter a Sharks side desperate for a result after losing all four games on their tour of Europe.

Forwards Ireland coach John Plumtree, back in charge of the Sharks, has pleaded for patience, not least as he won’t have seven of their eight World Cup players back for another week.

“It was a disappointing tour,” said Plumtree after they went down to a shock loss to Zebre in Parma last weekend. “We could have picked up a win or two. That didn’t happen. We are looking forward to getting back home now and we will reset and work hard to get some momentum going and improve our results at home.” 

Wilkins, whose side face the Bulls next weekend, has made eight changes to the team which went down 25-22 in Edinburgh last weekend.

The back row, where Conor Oliver has now been handed the captaincy with Jack Carty not included in the matchday 23, is the only line which remains intact.

JJ Hanrahan starts at out-half with David Hawkshaw providing cover on the bench and he will partner scrum-half Colm Reilly who starts for only the sixth time in his 22 appearances for his native province.

Finlay Bealham returns from World Cup duty and takes over at tighthead from Jack Aungier, who did not travel due to a HIA, while Denis Buckley comes in for Peter Dooley on the other side of the scrum.

Joe Joyce and Oisin Dowling replace the Murray brothers, Niall and Darragh, in the second row, while in the three-quarters Cathal Forde returns at inside centre, with Tom Daly moving to outside and Byron Ralston going on to the right wing.

Springbok Lukhanyo Am has been released to play. He was drafted into the South Africa squad as cover during the tournament but did not see any action and is back a week earlier than his other World Cup winning teammates in a badly needed boost for the home side.

Connacht have been training in temperatures of 25 and 26 degrees this week and Wilkins is hopeful that they are ready for all the demands of playing in South Africa.

"They'll be two very challenging games in terms of the physicality and the conditions we’ll play in, but the way our rugby is progressing, we’d be confident that we can give them both a really good game,” said Wilkins.

"If we can get everything right on the day, I think we can assert our game on them.

"So, it’s a good chance in terms of the rugby piece, it’s also a good chance to take 29 guys away and get all of the cohesion and the cultural side that comes with that, while acknowledging that there’s a really important part of our group left behind in Galway as well."

Sharks: A Fassi; W Kok, L Am, F Venter (c), A Dyantyi; C Bosch, C Wright; N Mchunu, D Richardson, C Oosthuizen; C Rahl, E van Heerden; J Venter, P Buthelezi, S Notshe.

Replacements: D Jooste, D Bleuler, H Jacobs, J Labuschagne, T Mavesere, Z Mkhabela, B Chamberlain, R Janse van Rensburg.

Connacht: T O’Halloran; B Ralston, T Farrell, C Forde, A Smith; JJ Hanrahan, C Reilly; D Buckley, T McElroy, F Bealham; O Dowling, J Joyce; C Prendergast, C Oliver (c), S O'Brien.

Replacements: D Heffernan, P Dooley, D Robertson-McCoy, D Murray, S Hurley-Langton, C Blade, D Hawkshaw, J Porch.

Referee: Craig Evans (Wales).