Clontarf Quartet Bolster Connacht Squad

Clontarf players Bernard Jackman, Warren O’Kelly, David Hewitt and Mike Walls are among the newcomers to the Connacht squad for the coming season while there is a return to the province for former international Matt Mostyn who has cut his ties with the now defunct Welsh professsional side, Newport.

Eric Elwood will begin his 15th season with the western province who also welcome into their fold the former Ireland Under 21 and current Student international, John Fogarty. Fogarty, who has been a member of the Munster senior squad for the past three seasons is an important capture for Connacht with Jerry Flannery having gone the ‘other way’ and the Con man is joined by O’Kelly who was also a Munster squad member last season.

Mostyn played with Connacht in the 1999/2000 European Shield as did Jackman. Mostyn moving on to play Heineken Cup rugby with Newport the following year while Jackman plied his trade with Sale Sharks. Jackman returned to Ireland last season and he was Clontarf’s leading try scorer in an AIB League campaign that saw the north Dublin side finish comfortably on top after the league series only to suffer the disappointment of being beaten in the league final play off. The change of scene in Wales proably hastened Mostyn’s return and he will be a welcome addition to the side that has a new coach in Michael Bradley whose focus in the coming weeks however will centre on the Ireland Under 21’s as they compete in the World Cup being staged in England.
Connacht Squad 2003/2004.

Backs.
Mark McHugh; Ted Robinson, Conor McPhillips, Matt Mostyn, Darren Yapp, Tim Allnutt, Shane Moore, Wayne Munn, Eric Elwood, David Hewitt, Chris Keane, Mike Walls, Conor O’Loughlin, Paddy O’Sullivan (Dev.), Justin Meagher (Dev.).

Forwards.
Dan McFarland, Warren O’Kelly, Bernard Jackman, Marnus Uijs, John Fogarty, Peter Bracken, Adrian Clarke, Fabian Boiroux, Damian Browne, Andrew Farley, Mike McCarthy, Michael Swift, John Muldoon, Paul Neville, Tom Carter, Michael Carroll, Ray Hogan (Dev.), Henry Bourke (Dev.) Christian Short (Dev.).