By JOHN FALLON

CONNACHT head coach Pete Wilkins said it is a big boost to have all 23 who did duty in Belfast on Friday night available for their trip to Cape Town to take on champions the Stormers in Saturday’s URC semi-final.

All 23 came through the bruising 15-10 win over Ulster and Wilkins and director of rugby Andy Friend have added six other players for the trip to South Africa. They are just 80 minutes away from reaching their second ever final as they bid to emulate the achievements of the side which captured the 2016 Pro12 title.

“The guys are focused and hungry,” said Wilkins. “It’s just steering them in the right direction for the next challenge and they’ll rip into that no doubt.

“Before the Ulster game I said to the players, we genuinely believe that you guys deserve that opportunity of the quarter-final. It says a lot about us that we earned that spot but thereafter all that matters is what happens next. We had to go out and start from scratch and build the respect and the performance that will get us into a semi and now we are in it, we get pats on the back for that and the lads fully deserve that but what matters is what we do next.”

The Connacht management have added hooker Eoin de Buitléar, props Peter Dooley and Dominic Robertson-McCoy, lock Darragh Murray, along with versatile backs Cathal Forde and Colm Reilly for Saturday’s clash at Cape Town Stadium.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.