Connacht face the first of two South African challenges in what will be a season-defining period in their BKT URC campaign.
The two-match tour includes a visit to play the DHL Stormers on Saturday (12.45pm ) before they head north to Ellis Park where they take on the Lions a week later.
Crucially, the Stormers and Connacht are at the opposite ends of the URC table - the Stormers are sitting pretty in second spot with 51 points and 14 wins; Connacht are in ninth with 39 points and seven wins. And with the South African outfit just four points behind league leaders Glasgow Warriors, it is unlikely head coach John Dobson will take this fixture for granted in their bid to close the gap.
This is a week for Connacht to stand up, and although Bundee Aki is missing from the tour squad, there are hugely experienced players who can provide the necessary leadership in captain Paul Boyle, Dave Heffernan, Cian Prendergast, and Seamus Hurley-Langton.
With Aki not involved, Hugh Gavin is expected to come into the frame alongside Cathal Forde, while Jack Carty and Sean Naughton will direct the game in the absence of the injured Josh Ioane.
Although the home side holds the aces, head coach Stuart Lancaster will see this as an opportunity to add valuable points in the play-off chase, but it will not be easy.
Up front Connacht can expect a real tussle against a formidable Stormers’ pack known for its power at both scrum and maul, and in Evan Roos, they also boast their top try scorer.
This fixture is a huge ask for Connacht against a South African side that has lost only once at this stadium since February 2025, and that was against fellow compatriots the Sharks in January. To add extra weight to those odds, the Stormers have won their last three championship fixtures against Irish opposition since Ulster prevailed in March 2005.
There is another factor - the passing of their team manager Christopher 'Chippie' Solomon, and the resulting response. Stormers say they will use the hurt of losing Chippie as motivation for this weekend’s clash with Connacht, rather than let grief distract them, and have vowed to make DHL Stadium a special place to celebrate his legacy.
That is a huge motivation for the home side that Connacht understand and respect, but it will not deter them from their own ambition, and the quiet confidence in this growing side.
Understandably, Connacht are often underrated, but that is due to their inconsistency. This meeting in South Africa poses a real test of Connacht’s resilience and also their growth under Stuart Lancaster.
They will need to stymie the Stormers’ strong forward pack, and also the backs, who are so capable of making line-breaks. And with few remaining games to the season’s end, and having missed out on advancing to the European competition’s semi-finals, Connacht have everything to play for and more.
Connacht squad: Forwards - B Bohan, J Aungier, F Barrett, P Dooley, S Illo, D Heffernan, D Tierney-Martin, M Victory, D Murray, D O’Connor, J Joyce, N Murray, C Prendergast, J Murphy, P Boyle, S Jansen, S Hurley-Langton. Backs - H West, S Gilbert, S Jennings, S Bolton, C Forde, H Gavin, J Devine, J Carty, S Naughton, B Murphy, C Reilly, M Devine.
