Connacht welcome new star back for big URC interpro trip to Ulster as players warned to stay focused
Josh Iaone has looked the part since his move to Connacht and, after missing last week's last-gasp win over Scarlets, he will return for the Kingspan Stadium clash with Ulster
Connacht will have new No.10 Josh Ioane back and skipper Cian Prendergast available for Saturday night's trip to Ulster - with boss Pete Wilkins warning his players not to smell the roses after their win at Scarlets.
Ioane missed the game in Llanelli as he was completing return to play protocols, while Joe Joyce (neck) and Jordan Duggan (ankle) also missed out but all three are fit for the interpro, with Prendergast expected to complete his protocols in time.
Shamus Hurley-Langton (shoulder) misses out, while Sam Illo and JJ Hanrahan are more long-term absentees.
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"It’s an ankle syndesmosis injury but he won’t require surgery on it, which is good news," said Wilkins of Illo's issue, which leaves things tight in regards to tightheads.
"But we’re looking at about six weeks from the injury occurring, give or take, so certainly out of action for the November international window and then we'll have a clearer timeline from then.
"It’s the same as Scarlets, Temi Lasisi obviously backs up Finlay and Fiachna from the Academy as well so three to choose from.
"We are allowed use Finlay across 10 games in a broad window, including internationals, so we can manage him around that depending on how many minutes he gets with Ireland. It’s not a huge consideration at the moment but we’ll make sure he’s looked after."
The westerners were delighted to come out of Wales with the win, courtesy of Cathal Forbes' late penalty, to make it back to back wins at the start of the URC after the opening day loss to Munster.
Similarly, Connacht got off to a flyer last season but couldn't back it up. "There’s certainly a synchronicity to it that we need to be aware of," he said.
"For me, it’s probably the bigger learning of what the difference has been for us across the first three games of the season, compared to us across the majority of last season.
"The similarity is we’ve got off to a decent start but I think we won’t draw on the one game as much.
"It’s about what are we seeing rugby wise, what are we seeing spirit wise and identity wise that has brought us these points in rounds one, two and three.
"Last season is there as a tiny reminder that we were pretty dissatisfied with a few of our performances and it is also not that long ago that we got off to a decent start and then faded out as the season went.
"So our feet are firmly on the ground here and that Scarlets performance, as delighted as we were with the result, we were disappointed with the overall performance.
"It’s timely as well so we’re going to Ulster not taking anything for granted and knowing that all the departments of our game need to be better if we are going to get the points up there."
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