It's been a relatively healthy start to the BKT United Rugby Championship season for Connacht, and the province will hope to keep the momentum going on Friday night by unleashing Bundeee Aki on the Scarlets in Llanelli.
The 34-year-old hasn’t played since picking up a knee injury in Ireland’s first summer Test against South Africa, but is available for selection in Wales after sitting out the first two games of the season against Munster and Sharks.
The province won on their last visit to Llanelli in February 2022, but Parc y Scarlets has traditionally been a tough venue for Connacht, having lost their previous 11 games at the venue.
And with Aki likely to be involved on Friday night, head coach Pete Wilkins is hoping the experienced Ireland international can tip the scales in his side’s favour.
"Bundee is certainly the man that models that for ourselves and for Ireland, and it'll be really important on a Friday night game away from home in West Wales. It's not somewhere for the faint-hearted, and it's not somewhere you can go and be at 60 or 70% intensity.
"That talisman effect that Bundee has on the group, the energy he brings, the edge he brings, not just as I said in his own game, but the 14 or the 22 other guys around him. That'll be very important to us."
Connacht will be forced into at least one change to their team on Friday night, with out-half Josh Ioane ruled out following a concussion in Saturday’s dramatic win against the Sharks in Galway.
It could provide Jack Carty with his first appearance of the campaign, although with Aki now available in the centre, Wilkins could be tempted to shift Cathal Forde (above) into the 10 shirt, after the former Ireland U20 out-half excelled in that position on Saturday following Ioane’s injury.
"We've obviously used Fordey in the past to cover 10 for us, and he's filled in there either off the bench or when there's been injuries during a game. But I think this was the most assured he looked.
"In terms of how he controlled the game, I think the run-kick decision making, the clarity he gave to the players around him. It's as much looking at what the shapes are like around him in attack, and is he managing to get the rest of the team functioning, as it is about what he does himself with the ball.
"I was really pleased, and I think that he played a hugely important part in in the way we were able to turn the game around.
"He did well enough. He's definitely in the conversation for this week, but at the same time in Jack Carty we've got such an experienced and improving campaigner and also someone who's been trending unbelievably well for the last few weeks in the response to Josh Ioane’s form.
"Jack's still incredibly important for us. He will be this season, and, you know, Josh not being available provides a good opportunity for Jack as much as anyone," he added.
Connacht look set to be without Sam Illo for the next few weeks after the tighthead damaged ankle ligaments in Saturday night’s win, but wing Shayne Bolton and lock Joe Joyce could become available again.
Bolton missed out on touring with the Emerging Ireland squad to allow a knee laceration to heal, while Joyce was limited in training last week due to a shoulder injury, but both have been able to return to training this week.
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