CONN MARM BLOW

CONNACHT will have to plan without both Bundee Aki and Kieran Marmion after their heroics with Ireland.

Scrum-half Marmion faces three months on the sidelines after surgery on his ankle injury while Aki has been granted leave by Connacht and the IRFU to return to New

Zealand for his wedding.

The Kiwi-born centre is expected back in time to face Leinster at the RDS in the week before Christmas.

“We are excited to have Bundee back but he needs to have a break from IRFU duties,” said Connacht coach Andy Friend.

“He is actually going to head home and he and his partner are getting married.

“That was agreed to a while ago, that he would head back to New Zealand and have some time for his wedding.”

Marmion (above) originally picked up his injury in Connacht’s win against Ulster last month but aggravated it against Argentina.

He played an hour of the win over New Zealand a week later but will now go under the knife.

Friend added: “He was very focused and driven for that New Zealand performance, you could see it in his eyes as he built up to it.

“Kieran knew there was an opportunity for him there and he certainly produced on the night.

“I think it’s just a taste of things to come from him. He’s got all the resilience and quality that you want from a player.

“The important thing for him now is to get it fixed and get back as quickly as possible.”