Mayo man Dave Heffernan will start for Connacht in their United Rugby Championship meeting with the Hollywoodbets Sharks at a sold-out Dexcom Stadium on Saturday night. The Ballina man will earn his 223rd cap for his province.

Connacht Rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster has named his matchday squad for the fixture:

Paul Boyle captains the side from openside flanker, in what is an unchanged back row from the side that started the last game against Munster, with Josh Murphy on the opposite flank and Sean Jansen at number 8.

Roscommon brothers Niall Murray and Darragh Murray are paired together in the second row, while the pack is completed by hooker Dave Heffernan, and props Jordan Duggan and Jack Aungier.

In the backs, Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane continue their partnership at 9 and 10, as do the Galway duo of Cathal Forde and Hugh Gavin in the centre. Shayne Bolton and Chay Mullins are selecting on the wings with Sean Naughton at full-back.

Among the replacements is new signing Sam Gilbert who will make his debut if called upon, as well as Bundee Aki fresh off his exploits with Ireland during the November internationals.

Unavailable due to injury are fellow internationals Cian Prendergast, Caolin Blade and Mack Hansen – all of whom will be further assessed next week – as well as Shamus Hurley-Langton, Peter Dooley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, David Hawkshaw and Oisín McCormack, plus long-term absentees Oisín Dowling, Byron Ralston and Temi Lasisi.

Tomorrow’s game is sold out so supporters are asked not to attend without a valid ticket. A number of tickets are on sale for our remaining home games of 2025 against Black Lion and Ulster.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster says:

“Tomorrow’s the start of a really important block for us, as we build on the first four games and aim to set ourselves up for success come the end of the season. Like any South African side the Sharks have a good mix of power up front and skill out wide, so we have to trust the processes we’ve worked on in the last few weeks, and feed off the support of the home crowd.

We’ve a few injuries to content with, but on the flipside we can bring Sam Gilbert into the matchday squad for the first time. He has settled in well since his arrival and his skillset and versatility in the backline will be a big asset for us.”

What is the Connacht Rugby squad against Hollywoodbets Sharks?

The match kicks off at the Dexcom Stadium on Saturday November 29, at 7.45pm.

Number/Name/Caps (* denotes uncapped)

15. Seán Naughton (4)

14. Chay Mullins (11)

13. Hugh Gavin (11)

12. Cathal Forde (54)

11. Shayne Bolton (29)

10. Josh Ioane (16)

9. Ben Murphy (18)

1. Jordan Duggan (65)

2. Dave Heffernan (222)

3. Jack Aungier (90)

4. Niall Murray (83)

5. Darragh Murray (41)

6. Josh Murphy (41)

7. Paul Boyle (117) (C)

8. Sean Jansen (29)

Finishers:

16. Eoin de Buitléar (15)

17. Denis Buckley (266)

18. Sam Illo (33)

19. David O’Connor (11)

20. Seán O’Brien (15)

21. Matthew Devine (21)

22. Bundee Aki (152)

23. Sam Gilbert *