WE might get a clearer picture at lunchtime on Friday of the future of Bundee Aki in a Connacht jersey when the province names its match-day squad for the Challenge Cup clash away to Newcastle Falcons on Saturday (5.30pm).

The cult hero at the Sportsground appears to have fallen out of favour with Andy Friend or Pete Wilkins or both and has not appeared in the last three match-day squads, leading to speculation that his time at the province might be coming to an end.

The possibility of the Irish international leaving the province reared its head this week in light of once again being omitted from a match-day squad last weekend – that was the fourth game of eight he has missed since club rugby resumed after the November internationals.

While is centrally contracted to the IRFU until 2024, his contract is up with Connacht at the end of this season, and there is growing concern amongst the province’s fanbase that the man who in 2021 became just the fourth Connacht player to be capped by the British & Irish Lions after Ciaran Fitzgerald, John O’Driscoll and Ray McLoughlin could spend the final year of his IRFU contract in the red of Munster.

“I am very close to Bundee, he is an extremely important part of the group, I definitely want him to be around next season and a few season after that, yeah . .  thanks mate,” was Jarrad Butler’s reply when the future of Aki was put to him on Tuesday in Connacht’s press briefing to preview Saturday’s game.

Head coach Pete Wilkins opened up a little more on the subject, saying that Aki was a highly valued member of the squad, and that his absence over the last three weeks was down to form rather than anything else.

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

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