Return of injured trio a boost for Pat Lam and Connacht

Connacht wrap up a tough run of 16 games on the trot on Saturday with high hopes of remaining in the Guinness Pro 12 top four.

"We can see light at the end of the tunnel," says coach Pat Lam, ahead of top-of-the-table Scarlets' visit to the Galway Sportsground .

“It is one versus four. It is well documented that our main goal is to finish in the top six, but this game is about purely staying in the top four.”

With or without any of his five Ireland squad players, including centre Robbie Henshaw, there has been more good news on the injury front.

Smaller squads

Three players return this week. Fit and available for selection are centre

Craig Ronaldson

, who injured his shoulder against

Scarlets

in the away fixture before the European break, hooker Shane Delahunt, who has cleared return to play protocols for concussion, and No 8 Eoin McKeon who injured his hip playing for the Eagles.

“I said at the start it was going to be a disadvantage for the smaller squads, and we have the smallest. It was going to take its toll, but we are coming out of it, and that is why I am pleased with some of the injuries coming back.

“In saying that, a lot of young boys have been given opportunities, and they have really taken them.”

In losing out to Wayne Pivac's Scarlets three weeks ago courtesy of an injury-time penalty, Lam says there was real frustration – "probably the most frustrated we have come out of a game". Now he wants more of last Saturday's kind of clinical form that saw Connacht overcome Enisei-STM comfortably to qualify for the last eight in the European Challenge Cup.

“We want to take that confidence and get points – on the field and on the table. It has been a long stretch these 16 games. It’s a real credit to the whole squad and the organisation that we have got through to the play-offs, and it would be a massive credit if we can get out of this 16 games in the top four.”