Lancaster Names Connacht Squad for Glasgow Warriors Vs Connacht Quarter-Final
Connacht named their matchday squad for glasgow warriors vs connacht, the BKT United Rugby Championship quarter-final at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday 29 May 2026 at 19:45. Stuart Lancaster’s selection includes replacements for Sean Jansen and Harry West, plus the return of Dave Heffernan after regaining fitness.
Prendergast Leads Connacht
Cian Prendergast captains the side from the back row, with Paul Boyle stepping in for the injured Jansen. John Devine replaces the injured West at outside centre, and Bundee Aki lines up beside him in midfield.
Connacht also left their back three unchanged, with Shayne Bolton, Shane Jennings, and Sam Gilbert keeping their places. Ben Murphy starts at scrum-half and Josh Ioane is selected at fly-half, giving Lancaster the same half-back base for a knockout match that carries the season’s biggest stakes so far.
Tierney-Martin Starts Up Front
Dylan Tierney-Martin starts in the front row with Billy Bohan and Sam Illo, while Darragh Murray partners Josh Murphy in the second row. Sean O’Brien is the back row replacement on the bench, and Hugh Gavin wears 22 as part of the matchday group.
Heffernan’s return gives Connacht an experienced option from the bench after being fit again. Jack Carty is unavailable due to personal reasons, so the squad goes into a quarter-final without its usual depth at fly-half cover, even with Ioane in the starting role.
Glasgow At Scotstoun
Connacht said Glasgow are a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players and strong coaching behind them. Lancaster put the season’s aim bluntly: “This is exactly where we wanted to be at the start of the season, so credit must go to all the players for what they’ve displayed in the last few months to get us to this position. Now we have to go out there and seize the opportunity. Glasgow are a formidable opponent especially away from home, with an array of talented players who are very well coached, but we are excited by the challenge ahead of us.”
The lineup leaves Connacht with a settled spine and two enforced changes in the pack and midfield, which makes the bench and early substitutions a bigger part of the equation at Scotstoun Stadium. For readers tracking the knockout tie, the immediate takeaway is simple: Connacht have picked their quarter-final group, and they go in with Prendergast leading, Heffernan back, and no room for a slow start.
