Former Leinster flanker Will Connors will make his first start for Connacht Rugby against his old club Friday, Oct. 30, when the Irish rivals meet at Dexcom Stadium in Galway for Round 5 of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster has made 12 changes to the starting lineup that defeated Zebre Parma last weekend, retaining only Finlay Bealham, Cathal Forde and captain Paul Boyle. Connors joins Sean O'Brien and Boyle in the back row, while Niall Murray could make his 100th appearance for the province off the bench.
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Leinster also arrives with a heavily rotated squad. Max Deegan captains the visitors, Jordan Larmour returns from a calf injury for his first appearance of the season, and Connor Fahy is set to make his senior debut.
Leinster has won five straight meetings against Connacht, including a 34-23 victory in Galway in January, but the hosts will look to capitalize on their home crowd and unfamiliar opposing lineup.
Connacht vs. Leinster Kickoff Time, Lineups
Connacht hosts Leinster on Friday, Oct. 30, at Dexcom Stadium in Galway, Ireland. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET in Round 5 of the 2026-27 BKT United Rugby Championship.
How To Watch Connacht vs. Leinster
Connacht vs. Leinster will stream live in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app. Subscribers can watch the match live or access full-match replays on demand.
Connacht Lineup vs. Leinster
Starting XV
Francois van Wyk
Dave Heffernan
Finlay Bealham
Josh Murphy
David O'Connor
Sean O'Brien
Will Connors
Paul Boyle (c)
Caolin Blade
Sean Naughton
Daniel Ryan
Cathal Forde
John Devine
Shayne Bolton
Josh Ioane
Replacements
Matthew Victory
Jerry Cahir
Fiachna Barrett
Niall Murray
Shamus Hurley-Langton
Colm Reilly
Finn Treacy
Sam Gilbert
Leinster Lineup vs. Connacht
Starting XV
Alex Usanov
Gus McCarthy
Niall Smyth
Brian Deeny
Alan Spicer
Max Deegan (c)
Scott Penny
James Culhane
Fintan Gunne
Joey Carbery
Jordan Larmour
Charlie Tector
Connor Fahy
Josh Kenny
Todd Lawlor
Replacements
Stephen Smyth
Peter Dooley
Alex Mullan
Conor O'Tighearnaigh
Alex Soroka
Cormac Foley
Caspar Gabriel
Ciaran Mangan
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