Finlay Bealham returns but Bundee Aki a week away as Connacht forced to make multiple changes for Sharks visit

After their thrilling but ultimately doomed demise away to Munster last week, Connacht coach Pete Wilkins will be forced to twist when every instinct tells him he would rather stick to his opening side.

Already down seven players for the best part of a month with Emerging Ireland, now Joe Joyce has effectively been ruled out by the coach.

The looming lock left Limerick with his arm in a sling and Wilkins today revealed a second aborted attempt by the lock to try and train this week will make it extremely unlikely that the English-born player will be involved.

That removes a third of the Thomond Park starting front five, given that Darragh Murray and Jack Aungier are also in Irish duty.

Wilkins will now also bid farewell to Olympian Che Mullins, drafted in for his second such tour by Simon Easterby to replace the luckless Shayne Bolton.

Bolton picked up a severe wound to his leg in the second-half against Munster; medics deemed the injury sufficiently serious enough that there was a risk of re-opening should he travel and so he has been forced to remain on this side of the equator.

However, Puma Santi Cordero will resume at full-back in the Dexcom next Saturday night.

His national side bid for a faintly credible Rugby Championship title without him this weekend – also against South Africans.

After jarring a knee taking a high ball last weekend, he trained fully this morning and has been given the all clear by the Connacht medical staff.

"We're desperately sorry Shayne hasn't gone on the Emerging Ireland tour as it would have been great recognition," said Wilkins today.

"The experience of that environment and that level of rugby would have been beneficial for him and by extension us.

"Che Mullins gets to have another look at it after being on the tour two years ago and if he plays two or three games it will further fast-track his 15-a-side development and that will ramp up his improvement in that level for us and be a better player for us afterwards.

"I'd love to have that consistency (of selection) heading in from the Munster week and be able to build on that across the 23.

"But at the same time, there is a physical freshness and a mental freshness for guys that are coming in to the squad after not playing last weekend, or else were involved in the AIL.

"There's also then a recognition from then that the squad did a pretty good job in terms of the individuals and some of the performances that went in.

"So that anyone who comes in now and gets an opportunity because of Emerging Ireland or an injury, they need to deliver.

"Whereas in the past, if guys have got an opportunity, it might have come on the back of someone's poor performance, when the bar hasn't been set that high.

"So there are positives on that. It would be nice to have greater consistency on the team but as I said, the motivation won't be lacking from those guys who are coming into the group."