By JOHN FALLON

Head coach Pete Wilkins will embark on his eighth season with Connacht on Saturday when they travel to Thomond Park to take on Munster in the opening round of the URC.

It’s only his second season in charge after spending one campaign with Kieran Keane when he arrived, then five seasons as an assistant to Andy Friend.

Wilkins is excited about the campaign ahead, not least the wealth of talent available behind the scrum this season when, for the first time ever, they have four current senior internationals on their books in Argentinean Santiago Cordero and the Irish trio of Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, and Caolin Blade.

Add in Irish Olympians Andrew Smith and Chay Mullins fresh from their exploits in Paris to a group which also includes capped out-halves Jack Carty and new All Black signed Josh Ioane, and that represents a formidable roster before digging deeper into a squad which includes the experienced John Porch, Shayne Bolton, and Byron Ralston.

Then there are the likes of David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings, and Hugh Gavin pushing through, while Blade will be challenged at scrum-half by Matthew Devine, Colm Reilly, and another new signing Ben Murphy.

“I think we certainly had talent on the field available in the backs previously that’s been really exciting at this stage of the season and you really look forward to working with them and seeing them in action,” said Wilkins.

“I think the utility value of so many of them right now is as good as we have had in that sense. Someone like Piers O’Conor we had pencilled in to play at full-back against Sale Sharks for two weeks and that’s where he was training, and then in mid-week we lost Shane Jennings to a rolled ankle in training and Piers slotted into full-back.

“He’s played 20 to 30 games there in the Premiership so it’s not foreign to him, but it’s great to have that versatility.”

The key to it all will be ensuring that the pack can deliver up front in a league where most teams seem to have strengthened from last season.

The experience of Irish tight-head Finlay Bealham is key, and while he is not due back for another few weeks after his exploits for Ireland in South Africa, he is a vital cog in this operation.

Pictured: Cian Prendergast has been named as Connacht captain for the new season. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.