United Rugby Championship: Connacht v Sharks, Dexcom Stadium, Saturday, 7.35pm (Live TG4)
A narrow defeat to Munster in the opening Interprovincial derby game last week left Connacht bitterly disappointed with two points from the 35-33 score but with something to prove in their second game of the United Rugby Championship (URC) against the Sharks on Saturday.
The South African side arrive for their first URC game after capturing the Currie Cup last week. Coach John Plumtree’s side also beat Gloucester to win the EPCR Challenge Cup in May, so they come to Galway with a winning mindset.
With a few players on the Emerging Ireland side Connacht make four changes for the Sharks visit. Niall Murray and Shane Jennings come in for the injured Joe Joyce and Shayne Bolton, while Irish prop Finlay Bealham and debutant David O’Connor replace the touring Jack Aungier and Darragh Murray.
On that front there was bad news for Jordan Duggan, who was ruled out of the Emerging Ireland tour on Friday. He will now return to Connacht to continue his rehabilitation on an ankle injury sustained during training.
It is a sold-out night and a landmark 250th Connacht match for prop Denis Buckley, who will join an illustrious club of three along with John Muldoon and Michael Swift.
The Sharks come battle hardened but in Connacht’s favour the physicality and intensity the South African side played for two games in a row in South Africa including a 100-minute Currie Cup semi-final, could work against them.
Fourteen of the 15 players that started in the final have travelled to Ireland except for secondrow Emile van Heerden, who misses out after leaving the field with a head injury and is following concussion protocols.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game,” said Connacht coach Pete Wilkins. “Our intensity and overall performance last week was encouraging despite the bitter disappointment of the result. Against a very strong Sharks team we will require a repeat of that effort along with evidence of growth in our game from round one.”
A familiar face with the Sharks is Springbok and former Munster and Leinster lock Jason Jenkins, who left Dublin at the end of last season and starts in the pack.
Connacht may dwell on the Sharks poor URC last season when they won only four of their 18 matches and finished 14th in the table. Still, the home side will need tight discipline.
Last week Sharks fullback Jordan Hendrikse, who starts at 15 again, landed a last-minute penalty from inside his own half to secure the 16-14 Currie Cup win in Johannesburg.
“We’ve found belief but it’s going to be tough emotionally and physically getting off this high,” said Plumtree of winning last week’s final.
“The other job for me now is getting the players back down to earth because we know what a tough game we have in Galway. Connacht will be waiting for us. They’ll be excited about playing at home.”
Last week’s game with Munster was a 10-try barnstormer with the halfback pairing of Josh Ioane and Ben Muphy, Connacht’s signing from Leinster, to the fore and involved in Connacht’s first two tries.
Ioane scored the opener after Murphy triggered it before Murphy scored the first of his two tries with Connacht’s second.
It is very early in the season but the feeling is nothing but a win will do for Connacht.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, David O’Connor, Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt). Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Paul Boyle.
Sharks: Jordan Hendrikse; Eduan Keyte, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker; Siya Masuku, Bradley Davids; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Dylan Richardson, Ruan Dreyer, Jason Jenkins, Gerbrandt Grobler, James Venter, Vincent Tshituka (capt), Emmanuel Tshituka. Replacements: Fez Mbatha, Trevor Nyakane, Hanro Jacobs, Corne Rahl, Reniel Hugo, Tinotenda Mavesere, Tian Meyer, Gurswin Wehr/Lionel Cronje
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)
