Connacht hopeful Prendergast can prove fitness for Challenge Cup clash with Racing 92 

Connacht captain Cian Prendergast. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

Connacht are going to give skipper Cian Prendergast every chance to be fit for Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown against Racing 92 in Galway.

The 25-year-old missed the 35-20 win over Cardiff at the weekend after suffering a head injury which saw him stretchered off in the URC against Munster in Castlebar and a red card for Alex Nanikvell.

Home advantage at Dexcom Stadium rather than having to travel to Paris gives Connacht some more time in making a call, with stand-in head coach Cullie Tucker, who has stepped up with Pete Wilkins still on sick leave, saying they were hopeful Prendergast might be cleared to play.

“He's working through his protocols, so we just have to get the outcome of that first. He's in good form and he's training away. We'd be positive there.

“The process is 12 days, so after that every day he has to hit certain markers. Our medical team are outstanding in terms of monitoring that. I'm guided by those guys, but everything is tracking positively so far,” said Tucker, who will form part of Paul O’Connell’s coaching team for the Irish summer tour to Georgia and Portugal.

Connacht are boosted in front row options with experienced loosehead Peter Dooley available after a calf injury, while the back Piers O’Conor has recovered from illness which forced a late change on the bench before the Cardiff when Cathal Forde was drafted in to replace him.

Connacht, with only long-term absentees Sean O’Brien (hamstring) and Byrone Ralston (knee) unavailable, are on track for a first ever appearance in the Challenge Cup final and will enjoy home advantage again in the semi-finals if they can get past Racing 92 on Saturday evening.

Tucker said they can’t look beyond the Paris side who had Owen Farrell at No.10 as they saw off Perpignan last weekend and he stressed the key for them was to get their own game right rather than get too concerned about what Racing will bring.

“I think we just have to concentrate on ourselves. Racing's squad is so big, and it's so packed with quality that they could bring any number of teams. 

"We've got to be massively focused on the threats they bring, Le Garrec, Owen Farrell, Fickou, the list goes on and on, Tuisova, so there's loads of quality. Whatever they bring over will be stacked with quality. It's being aware of their threats but focusing on our own structures and systems.

“You're coming up against combinations you're not used to coming up against. There's that bit of an unknown to it.

“When you rattle off the names you can see the challenge that they possess, the quality they have in their squad, but also how exciting it is to play against the international quality they have and test themselves at that level,” added Tucker.