Fitness Testing Gets Connacht’s Pre-Season Underway

Squad newcomers Shane O’Leary, Ian Porter and Niyi Adeolokun reported to the Sportsground where they collected some new BLK kit, met their new team-mates, and underwent a comprehensive day of testing with Connacht’s medical and conditioning teams.

A number of players away on international duty with different representative squads will join up with their provincial team-mates in July, while New Zealanders Mils Muliaina, Bundee Aki and Tom McCartney are expected to arrive at different stages starting in late August.

The core group of players present today were required to report for duty at 7.30am to undergo a thorough examination consisting of strength and power testing, body composition, physiotherapy screening and fitness assessments.

The first of the two-day testing concluded with the annual 1.2km run at the Dangan track in NUI Galway where specific targets are set out for each player. Senior fitness coach Jim Molony was satisfied that all the players conquered and even surpassed their individual target times.

On Friday the players will be put through their paces again with more power and strength testing in the morning followed by a Yo-Yo test in the afternoon.

All players who ‘pass’ the testing this week will be given a few more days rest before the official 2014/15 start date of June 29 when the entire Connacht senior squad will travel to Sligo RFC to take part in a Family Fun Day in aid of the Donal Parsons Trust. Then it is back to the Sportsground the following Monday morning for 10 weeks of pre-season training.

Details of the westerners’ pre-season friendlies will be confirmed in the coming weeks, while the first draft of PRO12 and European Rugby Challenge Cup fixture dates will be released in late July.

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