IRISH rugby is this week basking in one of its most famous days after clinching a series win over New Zealand in Wellington last Saturday, and there was a healthy Connacht connection not just in last Saturday’s win, but on the tour as a whole.

Five Connacht players were selected in the 40-man squad: Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham, Mack Hansen, Dave Heffernan, and Cian Prendergast, and they were joined in the travelling party by Connacht assistant coach, Pete Wilkins, who was brought on tour to assist in team preparation.

Aki and Hansen both started last Saturday’s famous 32-22 win over the All Blacks, with Bealham joining the fray for the final 10 minutes, and all three played their part in securing a test-clinching win.

It was a particularly memorable tour for Auckland-born Aki, whose extended family got to see him play international rugby in the flesh for the first time when he was given the honour of captaining his adopted county in their opening tour game against the Maori All Blacks in Hamilton on the north island on June 29.

The travel-weary tourists were beaten 32-17 in that game which saw Prendergast pull on a senior Irish jersey for the first time, but it doesn’t count as a first cap as the two tour games against the Maoris were not considered as international games.

Heffernan also started that game before being replaced in the 51st minute; while Bealham was named on the bench for the tour opener, joining the action in the 69th minute.

Aki and Heffernan were both named on the bench for the first test the following Saturday, July 2, in Auckland a game which both Hansen and Bealham were ruled out of due to Covid-19 protocols, with Bealham a late withdrawal, having been initially named on the bench.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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