Connacht’s kicking let them down last week in Glasgow, a losing bonus point cold comfort from a match they could have won. It was an opportunity missed.
Tonight Dave McSharry makes a return to partner Eoin Griffin in the centre with Craig Ronaldson shifting to outhalf where he forms the half back pairing with Kieran Marmion. Dan Parks starts on the bench.
Tiernan O’Halloran comes into the left wing and up front Connacht’s highest capped player Michael Swift is brought into the second row for experience and grunt. Coach Pat Lam expects a physical game against Alan Solomons’ side as well as conditions to be pretty testing in the Sportsground.
Edinburgh have not played for a month, which may work for Connacht. Andries Strauss makes his debut while there are first starts for Mike Coman, Carl Bezuidenhout and James Hilterbrand. Scottish front-rows Ross Ford and Geoff Cross return from international duty and are on the bench.
“Missing the game against the Dragons in Newport was big because we have now not played for a month, which will have an impact,” conceded Solomons.
The last eight fixtures between the two sides have been evenly split with four wins for each side. Connacth lost the corresponding away game in Edinburgh 43-10.
CONNACHT (v Edinburgh, Sportsground, Saturday, 5.0pm): R Henshaw; F Carr, E Griffin, D McSharry, T O'Halloran; C Ronaldson, K Marmion; D Buckley, J Harris-Wright, R Ah You; M Kearney, M Swift; A Browne, J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt). Replacements: D Heffernan, R Loughney, JP Cooney, A Muldowney, G Naoupu, P O'Donohoe, D Parks, D Leader.
