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The Connacht Rugby Professional team will have their first outing of the season on Friday when they face Bristol Bears in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Bristol Bears training ground (k/o 1pm).
The game will provide Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team with their first opportunity to see the group in a gameday environment, since the start of pre-season training in July.
Friday’s encounter is the first of consecutive friendlies for the squad, with another trip back to England next week for a meeting with Sale Sharks on Friday 5th September at Heywood Road (k/o 7.30pm).
A 27-man squad listed below has made the trip. The squad will be captained by Joe Joyce, and Academy trio Fiachna Barrett, Max Flynn and Sean Naughton are also included.
Not involved are the six internationals who toured Georgia and Portugal during the summer – Jack Aungier, Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin, Ben Murphy, Darragh Murray and Cian Prendergast. British & Irish Lions Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen will link up with the group in mid-September.
New signing Sam Gilbert will join the squad later in the year, following his obligations with Otago in the Bunnings NPC.
CONNACHT RUGBY SQUAD VS BRISTOL BEARS
13:00, Friday 29th August @ Bristol Bears HPC
Forwards (16)
Fiachna Barrett
Paul Boyle
Eoin de Buitléar
Peter Dooley
Jordan Duggan
Max Flynn
Shamus Hurley-Langton
Sam Illo
Sean Jansen
Joe Joyce (C)
Temi Lasisi
Josh Murphy
Niall Murray
Sean O’Brien
David O’Connor
Dylan Tierney-Martin
Backs (11)
Caolin Blade
Jack Carty
John Devine
Matthew Devine
Cathal Forde
David Hawkshaw
Josh Ioane
Shane Jennings
Chay Mullins
Sean Naughton
Byron Ralston
