Eoin de Buitléar makes first start for Connacht in Scarlets clash

Eoin de Buitlaear.

EOIN DE BUITLEAR will make his first start for Connacht when they face Scarlets at Dexcom Stadium in the URC tomorrow (KO: 5.05pm).

The An Cheatrú Rua hooker came through the ranks at An Ghaeltacht Rugbaí and Scoil Chuimsiteach Chiaráin in Connemara, and has so far made four appearances off the bench. De Buitléar along with the rest of the starting XV will wear the socks of his first club/school as part of URC’s Origin Round.

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His inclusion is one of five changes from the side that beat Cardiff, with Peter Dooley, Gavin Thornbury, the fit-again Sean Jansen, and Byron Ralston – who returns from suspension – all back in the side.

Jack Aungier completes the front row, Niall Murray partners Thornbury in the second row, and Cian Prendergast and Shamus Hurley-Langton move to blindside and openside flanker.

Caolin Blade again captains the side with JJ Hanrahan alongside him, while the centre partnership of Cathal Forde and David Hawkshaw is unchanged. Andrew Smith and Tiernan O’Halloran are on the left wing and full-back respectively, with Ralston named on the right wing.

15. Tiernan O’Halloran 
• 14. Byron Ralston
• 13. David Hawkshaw
• 12. Cathal Forde
• 11. Andrew Smith
• 10. JJ Hanrahan
• 9. Caolin Blade 

1. Peter Dooley
• 2. Eoin de Buitléar 
• 3. Jack Aungier 
• 4. Niall Murray 
• 5. Gavin Thornbury 
• 6. Cian Prendergast 
• 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton 
• 8. Sean Jansen 

Replacements

16. Dave Heffernan 
• 17. Denis Buckley 
• 18. Sam Illo 
• 19. Oisín Dowling 
• 20. Sean O’Brien 
• 21. Michael McDonald
• 22. Jack Carty
• 23. Conor Oliver