2015–16 Connacht Rugby season

2014–15 Connacht Rugby season

Ground(s)	Galway Sportsgrounds (Capacity: 9,500)[lower-alpha 1]
Coach(es)	Pat Lam
Captain(s)	John Muldoon
League(s)	Pro12
1st kit 2nd kit
← 2014–15

The 2015–16 season is Irish provincial rugby union side Connacht Rugby's fifteenth season competing in the Pro12, and the team's twentieth season as a professional side. It is Pat Lam's third season in charge of the side.

As well as playing in the Pro12, Connacht are competing in the Challenge Cup in Europe, having lost a play-off to enter the Champions Cup. The second tier side the Connacht Eagles compete in the 2015–16 British and Irish Cup.

Season

Background

Having finished seventh in the 2014–15 Pro12 Connacht were entered into a play-off to qualify for the 2015–16 Champions Cup, but were beaten by Gloucester after extra time.^[1] Following this defeat, Connacht were entered into the Challenge Cup. On 17 June 2015, Connacht were drawn into Pool 1 of the tournament along with French Top 14 side Brive, Newcastle Falcons from the English Premiership and Russian side Enisey-STM, who had entered the tournament through a qualifying competition.^[2]

The early stages of the season were interrupted by the 2015 Rugby World Cup leading to a congested fixture list after the tournament ended. Due to this fixture pile up, Connacht were scheduled to play a game each week for 16 straight weeks after the tournament ended.^[3]

Coaching and Management Team

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Individuals may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Role	Name	Union
Head Coach	Pat Lam[4]	Samoa[lower-alpha 2]
Team Manager	Tim Allnut[4]	New Zealand
Chief Executive	Willie Ruane[5]	Ireland
Forwards Coach	Jimmy Duffy[6]	Ireland
Backs/Kicking Coach	Andre Bell[7]	New Zealand
Skills Coach	Dave Ellis[4]	New Zealand
Assistant Attack Coach/ Head Performance Analyst	Conor McPhillips[4]	Ireland
Head of Fitness	Paul Bunce[8]	New Zealand
Academy Manager	Nigel Carolan[4]	Ireland

Players

Senior Playing Squad

^[9] Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Harris-Wright, JasonJason Harris-Wright Hooker Ireland Heffernan, DaveDave Heffernan Hooker Ireland McCartney, TomTom McCartney Hooker New Zealand Ah You, RodneyRodney Ah You Prop Ireland Bealham, FinlayFinlay Bealham Prop Ireland Buckley, DenisDenis Buckley Prop Ireland Cooney, JPJP Cooney Prop Ireland Loughney, RonanRonan Loughney Prop Ireland White, NathanNathan White Prop Ireland Browne, AndrewAndrew Browne Lock Ireland Dillane, UltanUltan Dillane Lock Ireland Marshall, BenBen Marshall Lock Ireland Muldowney, AlyAly Muldowney* Lock Scotland Qualter, DannyDanny Qualter Lock Ireland Roux, QuinnQuinn Roux* Lock South Africa Fox-Matamua, NepiaNepia Fox-Matamua Flanker New Zealand Heenan, JakeJake Heenan Flanker New Zealand Masterson, EoghanEoghan Masterson Flanker Ireland Muldoon, JohnJohn Muldoon (c) Flanker Ireland McKeon, EoinEoin McKeon Number 8 Ireland Naoupu, GeorgeGeorge Naoupu Number 8 New Zealand

Player Position Union Blade, CaolinCaolin Blade Scrum-half Ireland Cooney, JohnJohn Cooney Scrum-half Ireland Marmion, KieranKieran Marmion Scrum-half Ireland Porter, IanIan Porter Scrum-half Ireland Carty, JackJack Carty Fly-half Ireland MacGinty, AJAJ MacGinty Fly-half United States Ronaldson, CraigCraig Ronaldson Fly-half Ireland Aki, BundeeBundee Aki Centre New Zealand Finn, ConorConor Finn Centre Ireland Henshaw, RobbieRobbie Henshaw Centre Ireland McSharry, DaveDave McSharry Centre Ireland O'Leary, ShaneShane O'Leary* Centre Canada Pewhairangi, ApiApi Pewhairangi* Centre New Zealand Adeolokun, NiyiNiyi Adeolokun* Wing Nigeria Carr, FionnFionn Carr Wing Ireland Healy, MattMatt Healy Wing Ireland Poolman, DanieDanie Poolman* Wing South Africa Leader, DarraghDarragh Leader Fullback Ireland O'Halloran, TiernanTiernan O'Halloran Fullback Ireland

• Players qualified to play for Ireland on dual nationality or residency grounds*.
• Senior 15's internationally capped players in bold.
• Irish Provinces are currently limited to 4 non-Irish eligible (NIE) players and 1 non-Irish qualified player (NIQ or "Project Player"). Connacht Rugby is exempted from this under a separate development arrangement.

Academy Squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Shane Delahunt Hooker Ireland year 2 Jack Dineen Hooker Ireland year 2 Pat O'Toole Hooker Ireland year 1 Jamie Dever Prop Ireland year 3 Conor Kyne Prop Ireland year 1 Saba Meunargia Prop Ireland year 3 Conan O'Donnell Prop Ireland year 1 Jacob Walshe Prop Ireland year 3 Sean O'Brien Lock Ireland year 3 Cian Romaine Lock Ireland year 1 James Connolly Flanker Ireland year 3 Marc Kelly Flanker Ireland year 2 Stephen McVeigh Flanker Ireland year 1 Rory Moloney Flanker Ireland year 3

Player Position Union Conor Lowndes Scrum-half Ireland year 1 Conor McKeon Fly-half Ireland year 2 Rory Parata Centre Ireland year 3 Peter Robb Centre Ireland year 2 Ciarán Gaffney Wing Ireland year 2 Ed O'Keefe Wing Ireland year 1 Cormac Brennan Fullback Ireland year 1

Preseason Transfers

Players In LK Ultan Dillane promoted from academy[10] LK Quinn Roux from Leinster[10] LK Ben Marshall from Leinster[11] FL Nepia Fox-Matamua from Auckland[12] FL Eoghan Masterson promoted from academy[13] SH Caolin Blade promoted from academy[14] SH John Cooney from Leinster[14] FH AJ MacGinty from Life Running Eagles[15] CE Api Pewhairangi from New Zealand Warriors[16]

Players Out HK Seán Henry retired[17] LK Mick Kearney to Leinster[18] LK Michael Swift retired[19] FL Willie Faloon to Ulster[20] FL Mata Fifita to Galway Tribesmen[21][22] FH Miah Nikora to Petrarca[23] FB Shane Layden to Ireland Sevens[24] FB Mils Muliaina to Zebre[25]

Playing Kit

Connacht's official kit supplier for the season is Australian manufacturer BLK sport, in the third year of a four-year agreement to supply apparel for all of Connacht Rugby’s representative teams and support staff in 2013.^[26] Connacht's main shirt sponsors were Irish sporting retailer Lifestyle Sports. Lifestyle Sports signed a four season deal with the province, which will see their logo feature on the jersey until the end of the 2017–18 season.^[27]

Notes

1. Normal capacity is 7,500 but can be expanded to 9,500 with the addition of temporary seating.
2. New Zealand-born and qualified for Samoa, Lam has represented both countries, but last played rugby for Samoa.

References

1. "Champions Cup play-off: Gloucester 40-32 Connacht". BBC Sport. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
2. "European heavyweights to clash following 2015/16 Pool Draws". EPCRugby. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
3. "Like Ireland, our squad will be put to the test". Irish Independent. 16 October 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016. We know that during this 16-week run of games and later in the season, we are going to be hit with injuries.
4. "Management Team". Connacht Rugby. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
5. "Connacht appoint Willie Ruane as new CEO". Irish Independent. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
6. "Jimmy Duffy is new Connacht forwards coach". RTÉ Sport. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
7. "Connacht sign New Zealander Andre Bell as backs and kicking coach". RTÉ Sport. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
8. "New Head Of Fitness And Increased Funding For Connacht". Irish Rugby. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
9. http://www.connachtrugby.ie/#team
10. "Connacht have secured the futures of two promising young second rows". The42. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
11. "Leinster second/back rower Ben Marshall to join Connacht next season". The42. 27 May 2015.
12. "Connacht sign Auckland openside flanker Nepia Fox-Matamua". Irish Times. 25 March 2015.
13. "Connacht have handed new contracts to three of their best back rows". The42. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
14. "Trio of Connacht half-backs sign new deals with the province". Irish Independent. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
15. "Connacht sign USA fly-half AJ MacGinty for next season". Irish Times. 19 October 2015.
16. "Connacht have announced the signing of Ireland-qualified Api Pewhairangi from league-code NZ Warriors". Planet Rugby. 19 June 2015.
17. "‘Being part of Connacht is amazing at the moment’ – Kerins looking up". The42. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016. local man Sean Henry played for Munster and Connacht before being forced into an early retirement due to injury.
18. "Mick Kearney to join Leinster as 31 players put pen to paper". Leinster Rugby. 9 April 2015.
19. "The Connacht veteran with the Celtic League / Pro12 appearance record Michael Swift is retiring". The42. 19 February 2015.
20. "Connacht openside flanker Willie Faloon heading back to Ulster". Planet Rugby. 10 February 2015.
21. "There were emotional scenes as some Connacht legends said goodbye". The42. 16 May 2015.
22. "The Galway Tribesmen continue their winning streak". Galway Bay FM. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
23. "Connnacht utility back Miah Nikora joins Italian club Petrarca Rugby next season". Rugby1823.it. 10 June 2015.
24. "Versatile back Shane Layden takes up offer to join Ireland Sevens squad from Connacht". Irish Independent. 21 May 2015.
25. "Former All-Black fullback Mils Muliaina leaves Connacht for Zebre". Irish Times. 1 April 2015.
26. "Connacht strike new deal with Australian kit suppliers". Galway Advertiser. 20 June 2013.
27. "New title sponsor announced for Connacht Rugby". Galway Advertiser. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.