Connacht back-row Sean Jansen said how big a boost it was to see three of the players he featured with on the Emerging Ireland Tour in September get their first senior caps for Ireland.
And he knows that if he is to follow in the footsteps of Sam Prendergast, Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu into the Irish squad, then he really needs to stand out for Connacht.
And what better way to put your hand up than to stand out against a strong Bulls pack at Dexcom Stadium on Saturday evening as Pete Wilkins’ side bid for their fourth win of the URC.
“I have been able to get a string of games this season, and it’s the little things I’m working on right now,” said New Zealand native Jansen, who is Irish-qualified through grandparents from Belfast and Kildare.
“And, yeah, you never know. Obviously, there’s very good players in my position that are up there, but now that I’ve had a taste, it just makes me so much hungrier to get back in that environment. It’s such a good environment.
“But for now, it’s Connacht. The Bulls are a good side. No matter who they put out there, it’s a good side.”
Connacht, with three players starting against the Wallabies and their skipper Cian Prendergast on standby, have still managed to field a very strong side to take on a Bulls outfit who have won four from five in the 2024/25 season.
Argentina international Santiago Cordero is back from international duty and hoping to really spark his Connacht career, while the promising Shane Jennings is at full-back.
Summer signing Piers O’Conor joins Connacht’s best player of the season Cathal Forde in a strong midfield partnership, while Jack Carty will be keen to make an impression after very little game-time in the 2024/25 season.
He partners Ben Murphy at half-back as the scrum-half hopes to build on a very encouraging run of form since his move to Galway in the summer of 2024.
Josh Murphy is back from suspension and joins Jansen and Conor Oliver in a strong back-row, while Dave Heffernan was released from the Irish camp and starts at hooker.
Bulls coach Jake White, whose side will then take on Saracens in north London in the Champions Cup, said they know they face a tough test in Galway.
“They are a team that is always in the top eight, and they never give anything away,” said the former Springbok World Cup-winning coach.