Loughney made his return to the side in June 2007, but in his first match back from injury Loughney tore a cruciate knee ligament in the dying moments of Connacht's pre-season friendly against Narbonne in France. Loughney recovered from this setback and made his first start for Connacht on 5 October 2007, when he lined out against Glasgow Warriors in the 2007–08 Celtic League. He then went on to make his first competitive European appearance, coming on as a replacement against El Salvador in the 2007–08 European Challenge Cup on 16 November 2007. Loughney made a total of 15 appearances for the season, three of these coming in the Challenge Cup. He also started a total of three games in the league.