Mack Hansen set to return but Connacht left counting the cost of Brive victory

Connacht continue to count the cost of their bonus-point win over Brive as they return to the Sportsground for a vital home interprovincial with Ulster on Friday.

There is no question they will be without lock Gavin Thornbury who sustained a serious knee injury, while Paul Boyle, who captained the side in France, is undergoing “further investigations” on his shoulder following their solid European win over Brive, according to head coach Pete Wilkins.

Thornbury underwent surgery today [Monday] in Dublin for a probable tendon injury in the knee. The full details of the prognosis is unknown, but this serious injury could sideline the former Blackrock College player for many months.

On the plus side Mack Hansen is expected to be available for selection pending training this week, while other likely team choices if fully fit include Finlay Bealham, John Porch, and Jack Carty.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

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Dan McFarland’s Ulster return to Galway without Rob Herring (rib) and Billy Burns (concussion) after three defeats on the trot - their two European losses expected to prompt a response in Galway.

“They’re always ding-dong battles with Ulster,” says Wilkins. “They did a number on us in the first game in the season, but we are a different team now.

“We love the intensity of the matches when we play them, whether that’s here, whether it’s in the Kingspan or whether it’s at the Aviva. It’s something that makes for a special week, an exciting week in terms of our preparation. adding in the disappointment of how we performed when we were up there at the start of the season.

“But I think we’ve improved since then, but, we need to make sure we deliver this weekend as well. So there’s bags of incentive for us.

“Ulster have got their own narrative coming to the game, in terms of the last last three weeks. There’s been a lot written around that so, you know, they won’t lack for for motivation. I’m sure they won’t for intent, but it’s up to us to impose our personality on the occasion and on the opposition and make sure we get a chance to fire some shots and make a statement ourselves.”

Last weekends’s win in France has boosted Connacht’s confidence - “another win, so six from eight,” says Wilkins. “After the hole we put ourselves in at the front end of season, we have dug our out of it, but the next two weeks will be massive. It’s a huge game, another interprovincial game, and one we do not want to lose.”