15 hours ago
Lancaster's Connacht will boast three Lions and six summer tour internationals
There is palpable excitement at Connacht as they look forward to a new season under new management, Stuart Lancaster coming on board as Head Coach.
By the time the popular former Leinster assistant coach has his feet under table, it is expected he will have five new internationals in place, Simon Easterby having promised all of those traveling with Ireland to Georgia and Portugal will be capped.
In Connacht's case that will be senior debuts for scrum-half Ben Murphy, secondrow Darragh Murray, prop Jack Aungier, centre Hugh Gavin and winger Shane Bolton.
There is a sixth Connacht player in the squad Cian Prendergast while there are a further three, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham, away with the Lions.
"Yeah excitement," says Murphy of Lancaster taking over as Head Coach ahead next season.
"I had two years with him when I was in the Leinster academy. Any dealings I had with him, I've always had massive respect for him and I think you can see the development in the likes of a lot of the Lions who've gone in who've worked with him in Leinster.
"How he's brought them up from 19/20-year olds to now hopefully Lions internationals in a few weeks.
"He is very good not just on the pitch but off the pitch in building leadership skills and driving a team so I'm looking forward to hopefully picking his brain a bit on that."
"I didn't feel we were too far away from being very good and I think Stu has the ability to take us to that next step.
"He's been left a good foundation by the staff that were there last year but were ready to take that next step obviously next year.
Lancaster had been at the Connacht-Racing game in Galway on April 12, following which The Star/Mirror revealed exclusively on April 16 that he was set to become new coach in Galway.
"I didn't know he was coming at that stage. I'd met him briefly on his first day and had a quick chat with him. He outlined a couple of things that he wants to try and implement.
"It's all going to be massively exciting. I think they're starting in early July and hopefully get a good bit of groundwork done over pre-season."
Connacht finished 13th of 16 in the URC last season on the back of six wins and 12 losses; winning their last game, away at Zebre, helping lift them to a point clear of Ulster.
"There was a lot of frustration around the end of the year, particularly around the Racing game (a 40-43, 11-try thriller) and the end of the URC where we felt like we still had a chance and unfortunately we just didn't take it.
"It was all up and down to say the least. Individually I was fairly happy with how much I played and how much I contributed to the group but obviously what it comes down to mainly is the team performances and ultimately we were too inconsistent.
"It was great learning for me as a young half-back. What I can take forward to next season has been very valuable."
As mentioned and barring injury Murphy is expected make his Ireland debut in Georgia, most likely off the bench, on Saturday week in Tblisi.
The Georgian capital may be off the beaten track but there was little doubting thee 24 year-old route to getting there, his path was well sign-posted in advance.
Switching from Leinster (nine apps, 2021-24) to the western province in time for the 2024/25 season, Murphy made a huge impact, starting eight games and coming on a sub in a further three before lighting up a Challenge Cup win over Lyon with a hat-trick in early January.
Called in as an Ireland training panellist that month, Simon Easterby and Paul O'Connell saw enough to put him in the Ireland A squad for the late-February game with England in Bristol.
Only for the scrum-half to have to withdraw with injury as Nathan Doak and Fintan Gunne played that day but O'Connell hadn't forgotten his man and, interestingly, it's the Connacht player who travels with Ireland ahead of Gunne who posted a try in the URC final.
Says Murphy of his chance to tour with Ireland: "From the outside looking in it probably would have been far-fetched but I kind of felt that with the movements this year, Lions year and all that, that there was going to be an opportunity for a young scrum-half to come into the squad.
"I just wanted to put my best foot forward to be the one to be in that position. Thankfully I got an opportunity earlier with Connacht. I've managed to push forward and get into the squad so delighted.
Getting called up as a training panellist and working with the 2025 Six Nations squad last January has, he says, helped greatly with settling him in alongside the senior players this time.
"Yeah, definitely, it feels a little bit more comfortable because you've had those experiences.
"There's not a whole lot of experience in the group but the lads who've been in for the last couple of years. Obviously, Craig (Casey) as captain has been great, he's been great to myself and Doaky as well.
"I've worked with both no10s, Sam Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley, before, they've very good at setting up the team and getting their messages across and then there's obviously lads like Ryan Baird, Stuart McCloskey, who've been around for a little bit longer again.
"I think there's a really good mix of that experience and then I feel that with so many new caps or potential new caps that brings a bit of enthusiasm as well which I think all together is a good mix.
"Whether I was a training panellist or whether I'm in the normal squad you go out to train in the same way, try and earn your opportunity to play, that hasn't really changed. I suppose in that aspect it has been similar but I think those experiences have helped me."
IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SCHEDULESaturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time);Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time)Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025, departing for Tbilisi on Wednesday, 2nd (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*, Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)*, Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(8), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)*, Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(10), Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster)(8), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)*, Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38)Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)*, Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht)*, Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)*, Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)*, Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)*, Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(16), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster)*, Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3)
