Clarke out for rest of season?
AFTER the nightmare display away to Saracens last month, Connacht return to action on Sunday away to Glasgow (2pm) in their Scotstound home venue. While the home side are chasing a RaboDirect Pro12 play off spot, the visitors are just looking to get off the bottom of the table after a very poor campaign so far.
The headaches have been mounting for Pat Lam and his coaching staff. The biggest concern is Craig Clarke, who is out indefinitely with a concussion. His tenth concussion in 22 months, according to the Connacht head coach. It is a worrying time for Clarke and his family.
Added to that are a list of other injury worries. Brett Wilkinson and Sean Henry are both out for the month of February with similar neck injuries, Robbie Henshaw is involved with the Irish Six Nations squad while Nathan White is serving a three game suspension after a stamping incident in London last month.
The likelihood of Clarke returning this season seems slim, for the moment the main focus is getting him back playing at some point in the future. It is unclear how many of those ten concussions came during the six months he has been in Galway. It leaves an open question as to how much was known about this potential problem before he was signed on a three year contract.
Connacht have Irish squad members Kieran Marmion and Rodney Ah You available after neither were included in the reduced Six Nations squad and also are boosted by the availability of the likes of Dave McSharry and Dannie Poolman.
Miah Nikora is also back but has a lot of work to do to move ahead of Craig Ronaldson and Jack Carty in the pecking order. The most interesting selection for Sunday will be the ten jersey with four fit players vying for the position and the most unlikely form leader being the 21-year-old Athlone man who was in fine form against Leinster and Zebre. Dan Parks got the nod for the 11 try humiliation away to Saracens.
Glasgow have had a superb season under Gregor Townsend but he is without 11 Scottish internationals this weekend, nine of whom started the game at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday. This is down to their brilliant form and provides Connacht with an obvious opportunity. It also adds a huge amount of pressure on the backs of a side that have won just twice in 12 outings in this league.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.