Connacht have announced scrumhalf Kieran Marmion has signed a new two-year deal with the Pro 12 leaders.

The 23-year-old, a product of the province’s academy, made his first appearance for Connacht in 2012 and picked up his first Ireland cap in 2014.

He was a member of Joe Schmidt’s original Rugby World Cup training squad but failed to make the final 31-man party who made it to the quarter-finals in England.

On his new deal, which keeps him at the Sportsground until 2017, Marmion said: “I’m delighted to be staying with Connacht Rugby for at least the next two years and I’m looking forward to achieving some big things with the team in that time.

“I’m really enjoying the rugby we’re playing and the culture we’ve built. It’s a very exciting time to be involved.”

Pat Lam’s side currently top the Pro 12 table with six wins from seven games, and the Connacht boss was pleased to have retained the services of his homegrown scrumhalf, he said: “ Over the years, he has grown enormously as a player and as a person and has obviously established himself as a vital cog in the team.

“At 23, he’s still very young but he is a key member of our leadership group and is massively respected by everyone on and off the field. I’ve really enjoyed working with him and I look forward to continuing that for another two seasons.”

Connacht travel to Thomond Park to play Munster on Saturday and Lam is set to be without the services of a number of his first team squad due to injury.

Backrow Nepia Fox-Matamua will miss the top-of-the-table clash, but Lam has been boosted by the news Matt Healy is fit to return to action.