Connacht squad for pre-season friendly with Castres is named

Five Connacht players will represent the province for the first time in tomorrow’s pre-season friendly away to Castres (kick-off 7 p.m. Irish time).

Grant Stewart, Shamus Hurley-Langton, David Hawkshaw, Byron Ralston and Adam Byrne have all been selected in the starting XV for the first outing of the campaign.

Ralston partners Tom Daly, who captains the side, in the centre, while Byrne is selected on the wing with Alex Wootton on the opposite wing, with Oran McNulty at full-back.

Hawkshaw starts at out-half, with scrum-half Caolin Blade alongside him.

Ciaran Booth and Hurley-Langton are selected at blindside and openside respectively, with Sean Masterson at number eight.

Niall Murray and Oisín Dowling are paired together in the second row, and the squad is completed by props Denis Buckley and Dominic Robertson-McCoy.

Eleven players are named among the replacements, among them Mayo man Matthew Burke. Five of replacements are in the academy: Eoin de Buitléar, Josh O’Connor, Charlie Ward, Bart Vermeulen and Donnacha Byrne.

The game will be played in Stade de la Chevaliére, Mazamet tomorrow (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. Irish time.

The Connacht squad is: Oran McNulty, Adam Byrne, Byron Ralston, Tom Daly, Alex Wootton, David Hawkshaw, Caolin Blade, Denis Buckley, Grant Stewart, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Niall Murray, Oisín Dowling, Ciaran Booth, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Seán Masterson.

The replacements are: Eoin de Buitléar, Matthew Burke, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Oisín McCormack, Colm Reilly, Shane Jennings, Josh O’Connor, Charlie Ward, Bart Vermeulen, Donnacha Byrne.