The Stuart Lancaster revolution out west had another little landmark day on Wednesday when the entire Connacht playing squad for the 2026-27 season trained together for the first time. They play their sole home pre-season friendly at the Dexcom Stadium next Saturday when hosting the Ealing Trailfinders.

There is a huge sense of anticipation around Connacht ahead of the new season after the side’s push for a place in the top eight in the second half of last season and some glamorous fixtures in their return to the Champions Cup at home to Saracens and Toulouse.

This followed the opening of the new Clan Stand, in what Lancaster described as a game-changer. A crowd of 12,500 attended the stadium for the grand opening for the defeat to Leinster, and the win over Munster.

After that loss to Leinster last January, Connacht won seven of their last eight games in the URC, including that 26-7 win over Munster. On the back of that campaign, a record total of more than 4,500 season tickets have been sold ahead of this campaign and their opening URC game in Galway on Friday, September 25th, against the Stormers. This Saturday’s game is likely to see a first appearance in Connacht jerseys of a host of new signings, as well as a return to action for Mack Hansen.

Although this will be his sixth season with Connacht, Hansen will seem like a new signing – not least for Lancaster – after he was restricted to just one game for the province last season, against the Bulls in October. He also played two Tests for Ireland against Australia, scoring a hat-trick, and South Africa before undergoing an operation to cure a troublesome foot injury.

The 28-year-old was sidelined for the remainder of the season, and Ireland’s summer tour to Australia and New Zealand, but came through his comeback in a friendly against Vannes last week unscathed and has been training this week.

Lancaster used 28 players in that game and given the need to afford as many players as possible some minutes on the pitch in his side’s two pre-season friendlies, it seems conceivable Connacht’s head coach will use even more players on Saturday.

Connacht broke with their normal pre-season custom by having a week abroad together when setting up camp in Vannes from Monday to Saturday last week, which concluded with a game against their hosts at the Stade De La Rabine last Friday.

Vannes became the first club from Brittany to play in the Top 14 two seasons ago after winning the ProD2. Having been relegated after one season in the top flight, Vannes won the ProD2 again last season to return to the Top 14.

In what appears to have been a typical pre-season friendly against Vannes, a first-half brace by Sam Gilbert, including an 80-metre intercept try, augmented a try by Shane Jennings to leave Connacht 21-12 ahead at half-time. Tries by Josh Ioane and Finn Treacy helped to extend that lead to 35-19 before Vannes came back to win 36-35.

Connacht’s returning internationals from Ireland’s summer tour remained in Galway last week as it was their first week back training, namely Ciarán Frawley, Sean Jansen, Cian Prendergast, Billy Bohan and Darragh Murray. Bundee Aki was afforded an extra week’s break before also returning to training this week.

In addition to Frawley and Jerry Cahir, it also seems likely that one of Connacht’s other close-season acquisitions, Francois van Wyk, will make his first home appearance for the province.

Ealing Trailfinders won all 26 matches in the English Championship last season but were not granted promotion to the Premiership as their stadium did not meet the requisite criteria.

They have a sizeable Irish contingent, including the ex-Connacht backrower Conor Oliver, and the former Munster trio of hooker Scott Buckley, centre Rory Scannell and fullback Paddy Campbell.

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Ulster are the other Irish province playing this week, when they take on Edinburgh in Hive Stadium on Friday, exactly three weeks out from hosting the same opponents in their opening URC game at the Affidea Stadium.

Richie Murphy’s team also host the Ospreys in a second pre-season friendly next Friday week.