Connacht Rugby kicks off its 2023/2024 URC campaign this Saturday against Welsh side Ospreys
By Kevin Dowling
The first round of the URC season starts this weekend and Galway side Connacht will play Ospreys at 15.00 in the Galway Sports Ground Stadium.
Pete Wilkins’ men will try and get a good start to their season with a win as they hope to finish in the playoffs for a second season in a row.
Big new signings
Connacht have had a very busy summer as they’ve signed seven players but also lost a few as well.
Three former Connacht players announced their retirement after last season. Wingers Alex Wootton and Adam Byrne have decided to end their careers. Alongside them, club hooker Shane Delahunt also has also stepped back after playing nine seasons with the Western province.
Kieran Marmion who played all his career until this year as Connacht’s main scrum-half has left to join Bristol Bears in the English premiership. Sean Masterson, Levi Fifita, Ciaran Booth and Conor Fitzgerald are the last three players who left Connacht after last year’s brilliant season.
Whilst Connacht has lost some key players, they’ve also added strength and quality with several new signings. Joe Joyce, lock and Sean Jansen, back row, both come from the English league. Joyce played for the Bristol Bears since the start of his career and Jansen is a New Zealander that comes from the Leicester Tigers.
Connacht also signed Sebastian Cordero, a quick and solid Argentinian fullback from Bordeaux. The Irish fly-half who played for Munster, Clermont Auvergne, and most recently in Wales with the Dragons, JJ Hanrahan, comes in to compete for a starting place with Jack Carty.
Declan Moore and Michael McDonald are both on loan from Ulster. The last player the team has signed from an Irish URC team is Sean O’Brien, a 22-year-old back row from Leinster.
Connacht also made two very interesting and intriguing signings. Liam McNamara and Andrew Smith come from Rugby sevens. Both have played very few games in Rugby 15’s. McNamara is a very talented Seven’s fly-half who’s had a great career with the Ireland Seven’s and Smith is also a Seven’s star and will hope to shine in the Connacht jersey.
Team News
JJ Hanrahan, Andrew Smith, and Joe Joyce are the only new recruits making their competitive debut in the Connacht shirt this weekend. Caolin Blade will lead the team out as the club captain for this game. Connacht centre Tom Farrell will earn his 100th cap for Connacht this Saturday. All three World Cup players, Finlay Bealham, Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen don’t feature in the team sheet.
The full Connacht line-up for the Ospreys game can be found here.
The Welsh side will be captained by club legend Justin Tipuric who will also make his 200th appearance for the Ospreys. Will Griffiths will play in the second row and will play his 50th game with the Ospreys.
The full Ospreys line-up can be found here.
