Connacht centre David Hawkshaw ruled out until March

Connacht have been dealt an injury blow with centre David Hawkshaw is set to be sidelined until March.

The 23-year-old sustained an ankle injury while playing against his former side Leinster and has underwent a surgery to address the issue.

He will now need a recovery time of six to eight weeks which means he is not available until the Irish province face Dragons in March.

Connacht forwards coach Dewald Senekal confirmed the news on Hawkshaw, who has featured in 11 out of the 13 games for the club this season.

“He’s been brilliant so it’s a big blow. He has a big presence within the group and his heart is massive", said Senekal.

“I’ve really enjoyed watching him play this year and we hope that he will recover really quickly and get him back out there as soon as possible as he is really appreciated in the group. He plays like a 120kg centre even though he is not the biggest man in the world".