Aki To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Connacht have confirmed that Bundee Aki will undergo surgery this week on an ongoing shoulder injury. The 27-year-old centre is expected to return in time for the start of the 2017/18 season.
The westerners’ 2016/17 campaign ended last Saturday when they were beaten 21-15 by hosts Northampton Saints in a tightly-contested Champions Cup play-off at Franklin’s Gardens.
There will be a changing of the guard over the summer at the Sportsground with Bristol-bound head coach Pat Lam leading the list of departing coaches and players. Backs coach Conor McPhillips, Danie Poolman, John Cooney, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Daniel Qualter, Rory Parata, Shane O’Leary, Lewis Stevenson, Rory Moloney, Josh Rowland and Ivan Soroka are also leaving.
The departing Lam, who hands the coaching reins to current Chiefs assistant coach Kieran Keane, believes the province can recapture their best form next term if they show the consistency that was sadly missing in recent months and weeks.
“I said it to the boys there that Kieran will come in now and it’s their responsibility next season and I’m sure they will do a good job but only if they front up every week and not drop to the standard ever again that we saw in the last two matches (against Munster and Northampton),” said Lam.
“Unfortunately little errors cost us (against Northampton) but we are proud of the effort. We wanted the game at a faster tempo. We had chances to win it but this has been the story of the season, we just didn’t take the run-ins.”
Meanwhile, Bundee Aki’s shoulder operation this week means he has had to pull out of the Barbarians squad for their upcoming tour matches against England next Sunday (May 28) and Ulster on Thursday week (June 1).