CONNACHT’S WORST fears have been realised with lock Gavin Thornbury set to be ruled out until the start of next season after picking up a serious knee injury in the Challenge Cup win in Brive last weekend.

It’s the latest major injury setback for the former Irish U20 who was capped for Ireland ‘A’ last month and was in Andy Farrell’s extended squad for the autumn internationals.

The 29-year-old underwent surgery for a knee tendon injury on Tuesday and Connacht director of rugby Andy Friend doesn’t expect him to return before he departs the Sportsground next summer.

“There’s been unlucky and there’s been unlucky, and poor Gav has been so unlucky with injuries that he has had,” said Friend.

“On the other side of that is you have a man who has shown enormous resilience, fortitude, strength of character, all of those things, and how he continues to keep coming back from these pretty horrific injuries is a real compliment to him.

“But here he is again, he is faced with that and we will see what happens. Gav had surgery on Tuesday, we won’t see him until the new year. It’s rest and recovery at the minute and we will get a better picture when we will get him back but it probably won’t be for this season, unfortunately.”

The talented second-row has been tipped for full international honours on several occasions but just as he is building up a head of steam with impressive performances, he has constantly been struck down by injury.

Up to the start of this season he was averaging just over 12 appearances for each of the five seasons he had spent in Galway after arriving via New Zealand from the Leinster academy.

A summer 2021 shoulder operation which was meant to keep Thornbury out for about three months didn’t work out and he didn’t make it back until last April.

The match in Brive was his eighth of this campaign for Connacht and he was putting himself strongly in the frame for the Six Nations, having been capped seven times at U20 level.

“He got that Ireland ‘A’ game this year which I was really pleased for him,” added Friend. “Then he stayed with the Irish squad in camp for the autumn internationals which is again a great compliment to him and he’s just starting to get that run of form, that run of confidence together for himself and stringing a few games together and then he cops this.”

Friend said he knows Thornbury has the character to recover again but also pointed out that a time can come when a player just has enough of constant major injuries.

“The poor bugger just hasn’t had any luck,” added Friend. “He’s resilient, he has battled back before but there also comes a time when a player pauses and asks ‘is this what I want to keep doing’?

“There’s the old saying ‘you become sick and tired of being sick and tired’. I haven’t spoken to Gav post-surgery so we will need to just assess everything. He’s tough, he’s resilient and he’s got an incredible mindset and he’s really, really diligent doing all the right things so let’s see what the future holds.”

Meanwhile, No.8 Paul Boyle, who suffered a shoulder injury in that game in Brive, is not expected to be back until around February.

Connacht have made a dozen changes to the side which defeated Brive 31-24 in the Challenge Cup for their clash against Ulster at the Sportsground.

Bundee Aki, hooker Shane Delahunt, and flanker Oisin Dowling are the only players retained from the win in France as Friend goes with his strongest possible side for this crunch decider, which is probably one of the most important games of his tenure.