RUGBY CHALLENGE CUP: London Irish v ConnachtCONNACHT'S HOPES of causing an upset in Reading today look remote. The current pacesetters in the English Premiership, and Pool One leaders, have named a strong side that includes nine starting internationals and another three on the bench for the clash at the Madejski Stadium.
This contrasts with Connacht’s strategy to rest their front-line players for this penultimate fixture with the province’s bench players getting a chance.
After a tough three matches against Leinster, Munster, and the Scarlets, and with two matches remaining in Europe, Connacht have opted to save their first-choice players for the following week’s home meeting with Dax.
Needing at least four or five points to qualify as one of three best runners-up, Connacht believe their best chance is against the French visitors, who have yet to post a point from their four European outings.
With London Irish leading the Challenge Cup charge on full points – only themselves and Northampton in Pool Two have 20 points – it is safe to assume Irish will qualify as the Pool One winners with only Rovigo to play.
Connacht captain John Muldoon, Mike McCarthy, Robbie Morris, and Brett Wilkinson are key players in Connacht’s season, and with Johnny O’Connor still out injured, and Ray Ofisa having taken a few knocks, Connacht’s backrow options are also becoming stretched.
Three players from last week’s side remain to add the necessary experience, secondrow Andrew Farley, number eight Colm Rigney and former London Irish hooker Adrian Flavin, who captains the side.
As a result there is an experimental look to the backrow, with lock David Gannon at openside, alongside Andrew Browne, who also normally plays in the secondrow, on the blindside.
In the frontrow, prop John Lyne gets an opportunity to put the record straight after some decisions went against him against Leinster, joining Ronan Loughney and Flavin.
In the backs Fionn Carr, who was originally named in the side, has been ruled out with flu, with Mike Roberts, who has seen little competitive action this season due to injury, coming off the bench and Liam Bibo added to the squad.
Danny Riordan starts at fullback, John Hearty, who lined out for Galwegians last weekend on the left wing, joins Mel Deane in the centre, with Troy Nathan on the left wing.
Outhalf Andy Dunne gets only his second competitive start of the season, joining forces with scrumhalf Kieran Campbell.
It is a daunting task for this Connacht side – some of whom have not played at this level all season and now find themselves taking on the best team in the Premiership, but with more important games ahead, the Connacht management obviously views this as an ideal time to rest players and put their bench on the park.
As a result there will be little expectation of a result in Reading, particularly when they face a London Irish side that will include Mike Catt, who starts at outhalf, Topsy Ojo, Seilala Mapusua, Shane Geraghty, and Paul Hodgson in their backline, with Clarke Dermody, David Paice, Bob Casey, who captains the side, and Chris Hala’Ufia completing the starting international line-up.
LONDON IRISH:P Hewat, T Ojo, S Mapusua, S Geraghty, J Baily, M Catt, P Hodgson, C Dermody, D Paice, R Skuse, J Hudson, B Casey, R Thorpe, S Armitage, C Hala'ufia. Replacements: D Murphy, D Coetzee, T Lea'aetoa, G Johnson, D Danagher, W Fury, E Seveali'i.
CONNACHT:D Riordan; F Carr, J Hearty, M Deane, T Nathan; A Dunne, K Campbell; J Lyne, A Flavin (capt), R Loughney; M Swift, A Farley; A Browne, D Gannon, C Rigney. Replacements: J Merrigan, B McGovern, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, C O'Loughlin, I Keatley, M Roberts.
Referee:Andy Macpherson (Scot)
