Bundee Aki and Jack Carty are set to make their seasonal debut for Connacht as the team travels to Wales for a match against Scarlets. This third round fight in the United Rugby Championship (URC) is set to kick off on Friday at 7.35pm. Aki is scheduled to play at inside centre, resulting in Cathal Forde shifting to 13 and Piers O’Conor taking a position on the wing. Jack Carty replaces Josh Ioane at outhalf, teaming up with Ben Murphy in the scrumhalf.
Retaining their winning formation from their 36-30 triumph over Sharks the previous Saturday, no changes are made to the pack. The front row comprises Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, and Finlay Bealham, while Niall Murray and David O’Connor form the second row. The team is led by Cian Prendergast at number eight, with Josh Murphy and Conor Oliver continuing in the back row.
Mack Hansen secures his position on the right wing, and Santiago Cordero resumes fullback. In the words of Connacht’s head coach Pete Wilkins as he unveiled his team, navigating Llanelli, the Scarlets home town is always challenging for visiting teams. Therefore, the team needs to leverage its strengths, capitalize on opportunities, and assert its style of play.
The inclusion of senior players Bundee and Jack, with their extensive expertise and talent, testifies to the squad’s robustness this year. The coach recognises the need for peak performance in order to secure a win and the entire team enthusiastically anticipates this challenge.
The Connacht lineup against Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets includes Santiago Cordero, Mack Hansen, Cathal Forde, Bundee Aki, Piers O’Conor, Jack Carty, Ben Murphy, Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, David O’Connor, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, and captain Cian Prendergast. Replacements include Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisín Dowling, Paul Boyle, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, and Shayne Bolton.
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