Team Announcements: Connacht vs Cardiff

Connacht will welcome back six players from absences for tomorrow’s crucial BKT United Rugby Championship clash with Cardiff at The Sportsground (k/o 7.35pm). 

Captain Jack Carty, international Finlay Bealham, Denis Buckley, Jarrad Butler, Josh Murphy and Diarmuid Kilgallen have all overcome injuries to come straight into the starting XV.

Carty has missed the last 3 games with a hamstring issue, while Bealham hasn’t played since a knee injury sustained in Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations.

The seventh and final change from the side that lost to Benetton is the inclusion of Dylan Tierney-Martin, with Eoin de Buitléar named among the replacements.

CONNACHT RUGBY MATCHDAY 23 VS CARDIFF RUGBY
Saturday 15^th April, 19:35 Irish time @ The Sportsground

Number/Name/Caps

15. Tiernan O’Halloran (218)
14. Diarmuid Kilgallen (15)
13. Tom Farrell (95)
12. Bundee Aki (124)
11. Mack Hansen (25)
10. Jack Carty (191) (C)
9. Caolin Blade (166)
1. Denis Buckley (224)
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin (20)
3. Finlay Bealham (185)
4. Josh Murphy (14)
5. Niall Murray (52)
6. Cian Prendergast (43)
7. Conor Oliver (59)
8. Jarrad Butler (111)

16. Eoin de Buitléar (1)
17. Peter Dooley (16)
18. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (78)
19. Oisín Dowling (40)
20. Shamus Hurley-Langton (16)
21. Kieran Marmion (226)
22. Tom Daly (74)
23. Shane Jennings (3)

Cardiff Rugby

Corey Domachowski will become Cardiff’s latest centurion as the Blue and Blacks face Connacht in the penultimate match of the BKT United Rugby Championship regular season on Saturday (KO 7.35pm).

Dai Young’s side head to Galway with all to play for in the final two rounds of action, with play-off places and the Welsh Shield remaining  up for grabs.

Academy graduate Domachowski, who made his Blue and Blacks debut in 2016 as a 19-year-old, is named in an unchanged front row for the fourth consecutive match alongside Liam Belcher and Keiron Assiratti. 

Lopeti Timani and Seb Davies return to the starting line-up to complete the front five, while the back row of James Botham, Thomas Young and Taulupe Faletau continue as a unit.

Having led the club for the first time in January’s European clash against Brive, Tomos Williams will captain the side at The Sportsground, pairing up with Rhys Priestland at half back.

There is just a single change in the backline, with Jason Harries replacing Josh Adams on the wing, after the British and Irish Lion suffered a knee in last week’s defeat to Benetton.

Cardiff: Ben Thomas; Owen Lane, Mason Grady, Max Llewellyn, Jason Harries; Rhys Priestland, Tomos Williams (capt.); Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Keiron Assiratti, Lopeti Timani, Seb Davies, James Botham, Thomas Young, Taulupe Faletau

Replacements: Kristian Dacey, Rhys Carré, Dillon Lewis, Teddy Williams, Josh Turnbull, James Ratti, Lloyd Williams, Harri Millard