CONNACHT’S HOPES OF finishing their Challenge Cup pool with a perfect winning record have been given a lift as experienced out-half JJ Hanrahan is set for his first action since April when they head to the Arms Park in Cardiff on Friday.

Head coach Pete Wilkins said Hanrahan is available for his first game since suffering an ACL against former club the Dragons back in April and the 32-year old Kerryman is poised to freshen things up for Connacht.

They have already secured top position in the pool but need another couple of points to be absolutely guaranteed home advantage in all three knockout games to the final, if they progress that far for the first time in history.

“He’s fit and ready to go, how we use him this weekend we’ll have to wait and see. It’s brilliant to have him back in the mix,” said Wilkins, whose side has already banked bonus point wins over Zebre, Perpignan and Lyon in this season’s second tier European competition.

“First and foremost I have to acknowledge the journey he’s been on, the last game of rugby over in Dragons in April. It is a lonely journey with these long-term injuries. The way he has grafted away has been unbelievably professional.

“He’s broken up that rehab into bite-size chunks and gone about his business really well. For him to get to this point is fantastic and credit to him.

“In terms of where he’s at, he’s been training fully with the team for the last couple of weeks, and outside of that training we have been topping up his running load and contact load, as if to replicate the fact he’s been playing games on weekends.”

Mack Hansen will serve the second of his three-game suspension on Friday but Wilkins confirmed that other Irish internationals Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham are available as they were rested in the opening two rounds pre-Christmas.

However, experienced loosehead Denis Buckley is out with a dead leg, while a calf strain has ruled out lock Oisin Dowing.