Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw will be reunited in green again.
This evening’s Guinness PRO12 final marks the final time Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw will play together for Connacht. It is not inconceivable that they could both feature again for the province but it’s highly unlikely.
The pair are talked about as a midfield duo but they have only played together, in the centre, 11 times since Aki’s arrival from Waikato Chiefs. This season, they have partnered each other on three occasions, two of them being the recent wins over Glasgow Warriors.
Last season, it seemed as though word had been handed down from on high – Henshaw would be Ireland’s new No.12 so it was time to get him used to the role at Connacht.
The 22-year-old gave an early glimpse of what he was capable of, as inside centre, when he shredded Munster at The Sportsground, in January 2015. It must be noted, though, that Munster’s midfield that day was Pat Howard and JJ Hanrahan – seems like a lifetime ago.
Following a successful debut Six Nations campaign, Pat Lam teamed the two for Connacht’s PRO12 run-in. They looked like strangers in the losses to Ulster and Glasgow but stopped getting in each other’s way as the season end in pulsating agony, against Gloucester, at Kingsholm.
Lam teamed Aki with Rory Parata while Henshaw was at the World Cup but the Kiwi’s injury gave Craig Ronaldson at run at No.12. Henshaw returned in November but Lam preferred him at fullback. Ronaldson & Aki it was. Even Peter Robb got his chance.
However, with a home semi-final then final at stake, Lam brought the boys back together.
Aki was immense in both games while Henshaw’s defence was outstanding. While the Athlone native made turnovers and big hits, Aki took multiple cuts off Glasgow and left men in his wake. It was an awesome showing for a man carrying calf and ankle issues.
Pat Lam reveals how close the sensational @bundeeaki12 came to missing Connacht's latest triumph https://t.co/Y7fSs1sHbR
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 21, 2016
This evening will make it a dozen appearances in the westerners’ midfield. They go up against a similar pairing, in Ben Te’o and Garry Ringrose. It will be a fascinating watch.
Many expect Henshaw-Ringrose to be Ireland’s midfield partnership up to and including the next World Cup.
If Aki keeps up his superb level of performance, he may be back partnering his old mucker Henshaw in the green of Ireland. November 2017 – and Aki’s Irish qualification – can’t come quick enough.
