RUGBY – TEAM NEWS: Connacht coach Michael Bradley has named his side ahead of Saturday's European Challenge Cup tie against London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.

It is a much altered side from that lost 14-17 to the Scarlets at the Sportsground on Friday with twelve changes to the starting XV.

Bradley is linking Saturday's tie with the final pool game the following Friday at home to French side Dax - Connacht need to win at least one of those games to book a quarter-final spot.

"We are taking the two games as a pair and will be using our full squad over the two games,” he said. “We have made a lot of changes as the same team, more or less, has played the last three matches against Munster, Leinster and the Scarlets in thirteen days and could not be expected to play five games in a row.

"We need a win and probably a bonus point from these two games and that should be enough for us to qualify," he added.

Realistically Connacht are aiming for one of the runners-up spots as London Irish, currently six points ahead, would need to lose to both Connacht and Italian side Rovigo to be overtaken.

Former London Irish hooker Adrian Flavin will captain Connacht.

Connacht team: (v London Irish)

D Riordan; F Carr, J Hearty, M Deane, T Nathan; A Dunne, K Campbell; J Lyne, A Flavin (C), 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.