European Challenge Cup, quarter-final, second leg Connacht v Narbonne: Michael Bradley's Connacht side have long earned the respect of the public. The IRFU? Well, you get the sense they believe they have to earn that on the journey up the long, hard road. This season, so far, has been all about making impressions through success, and what a job the former Irish scrumhalf and his side have made. Hooker Bernard Jackman's elevation to the Irish squad this week came as little surprise.
Last week's first leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final was a challenge to keep close to a Narbonne side who they had never beaten away from home. Again Connacht made a statement and returned from the south of France with an 18-27 win and a nine-point cushion for today's match at the Sportsground.
While Bradley has cautiously and effectively rotated his squad all season, the team shows two changes from that which won last week, one of them in the back line where Conor O'Loughlin starts at scrumhalf in place of the injured Mike Walls. Chris Keane comes into the squad on the bench.
The other is in the back row where Bradley will surely welcome the return of Paul Neville, having missed both legs against Pau as well as the victory in Narbonne. Neville goes back into his marauding position at openside flanker, where he joins Michael Swift and John O'Sullivan. Other doubts over injuries have cleared.
The French are likely to start the match they way they played in the second half in Narbonne. They were three tries and several Eric Elwood kicks down before they started to play to a level which has given them a formidable reputation. Their first score from Eric Rosalen came after 35 minutes with Connacht going into the break with a 24-3 lead. From there on Narbonne showed what a force they can be and it took a ferocious second-half defensive display to deny the French victory.
If Narbonne can repeat their second-half performance from the whistle today, Connacht will have a bigger match on their hands than people perceive but at home, and with a team on song, the home side should take their chance.
CONNACHT: M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, T Allnutt (capt), C McPhillips; E Elwood, C O'Loughlin; D McFarland, B Jackman, A Clarke, D Browne, A Farley, M Swift, P Neville, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Fogarty, W O'Kelly, M McCarthy, M Lacey, C Keane, D Hewitt, T Robinson.
NARBONNE (probable): N Nadau; P Bazani, L Baluc-Rittener, P Garcia, J Candelon; C Rosalen, M Siro; J Garcia, F Rofes, M Scelzo, M Blair, O Olibeau, P Short, B Giacobbi, G Longo.
First leg: Connacht lead 18-27
Referee: Dave Pearson (England).
