Local players in Ireland Sevens and Connacht squads
Connacht have named their match-day squad for the United Rugby Championship opener away to Cardiff tomorrow night (Friday), kick-off 7.35pm.
Athlone's Jack Carty and fellow Ireland international Kieran Marmion make up the half-back pairing, while Brideswell native Niall Murray is among the replacements.
Buccaneers duo Shane Delahunt and Finlay Bealham have been selected to start in the front row.
After a two-try performance for the Eagles last week, new signing Mack Hansen has been handed his pro debut on the wing. There’s also a potential debut off the bench for Hubert Gilvarry (see squad below).
Connacht head coach Andy Friend said: “It's been a really productive pre-season campaign so we're all looking forward to this URC opener. It's a difficult opening game as Cardiff are always a formidable outfit especially at home, but we've prepared in the right way and are confident we can put in a really strong performance.
"Mack Hansen has been very impressive since arriving so fully deserves his first start, and in Hubert Gilvarry we have another Connacht native ready to make his debut if called upon. I know his inclusion in the matchday 23 will be a very proud day for all at Sligo RFC and Sligo Grammar School,” he added.
Ireland Sevens
Meanwhile, two Buccaneers players are part of the Ireland Men's Sevens for the second leg of a HSBC Canada Sevens double-header in Edmonton.
In addition to Jordan Conroy - who played for Ireland in the Tokyo Olympics this summer - Ballinasloe native and fellow Buccaneers player Shane Jennings has been named in the squad.
Following a fourth-place finish in Vancouver, the Ireland Men's Sevens squad have arrived in Edmonton, where they will face Germany, Jamaica and Great Britain on Saturday.
A new-look Ireland squad impressed last weekend in Vancouver as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returned after 18 months, and they will be hoping to build further on those performances at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
IRFU Director of Sevens, Anthony Eddy has made three injury-enforced changes to the squad for this weekend, with Gavin Mullin, Ed Kelly and Mark Roche unfortunately picking up injuries in Vancouver and all three have been ruled out for this weekend.
A fourth-place finish in Vancouver was Ireland's best placing as a World Series core team.
Ireland will play Germany on Saturday (4.44pm Irish time), before further Pool C clashes against Jamaica (7.55pm Irish time) and Great Britain (11.28pm Irish time) later in the day.
Connacht squad v Cardiff
(Friday, September 24, Cardiff Arms Park, 7:35)
15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. John Porch
13. Tom Farrell
12. Tom Daly
11. Mack Hansen *
10. Jack Carty
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Matthew Burke
2. Shane Delahunt
3. Finlay Bealham
4. Oisin Dowling
5. Ultan Dillane
6. Cian Prendergast
7. Conor Oliver
8. Jarrad Butler (captain)
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan
17. Jordan Duggan
18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy
19. Niall Murray
20. Paul Boyle
21. Hubert Gilvarry *
22. Conor Fitzgerald
23. Sammy Arnold
(*Denotes uncapped)
Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad
(Canada Sevens, Edmonton, Saturday, September 25)
Niall Comerford (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Chris Cosgrave (UCD RFC/Leinster)
Seán Cribbin (Suttonians)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College)
Shane Jennings (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
Sean Kearns (Irish Sevens)
Steven Kilgallen (UCD RFC)
Bryan Mollen (Blackrock College, captain)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Aaron O'Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster).