Rugby:Connacht coach Eric Elwood has tweaked his backrow combination as the province prepare to make their bow in European rugby's premier competition. Connacht face English league leaders Harlequins at the Stoop tomorrow night, their first appearance in the Heineken Cup.
Elwood has recalled John Muldoon and Ray Ofisa, who both missed last weekend’s Pro 12 defeat in Ulster, to his starting line-up with the pair packing down alongside number eight George Naoupu. The only other change sees Eoin Griffin return to the Connacht midfield with Gavin Duffy dropping back to fullback.
Connacht travel to London after a run of four successive defeats but Harlequins director of rugby, Conor O’Shea, is paying little attention to the form book.
“The journey for Connacht has been huge under Eric Elwood and they have earned the right to be in the Heineken Cup,” said O’Shea, who brought Chris Brooker back in at hooker in place of Joe Gray.
“As a team they fight tooth and nail for everything and play for each other. We have a huge amount of respect for them, but we are also conscious that the Stoop is a place that opposition teams must fear, in terms of the experience both on and off the pitch.”
Harlequins:M Brown; S Stegmann, G Lowe, J Turner-Hall, S Smith; N Evans, K Dickson; J Marler, C Brooker, J Johnston, O Kohn, G Robson, M Faasavalu, C Robshaw (capt), N Easter. Replacements:J Gray, N Mayhew, K Sinckler, T Vallejos, L Wallace, D Care, B Urdapilleta, T Williams
Connacht:G Duffy (capt); B Tuohy, E Griffin, D McSharry, T O'Halloran; M Nikora, P O'Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, R Ofisa, G Naoupu. Replacements:E Reynecke, R Loughney, D Rogers, D Gannon, T Anderson, F Murphy, N O'Connor, H Fa'afili
* The Ulster Ravens, meanwhile, have named their team for tomorrow night’s British and Irish Cup meeting with the Doncaster Knights.
Ravens coach Gary Longwell has called 11 players with first team experience, including Nigel Brady and Robbie Diack.
Two familiar faces will return to Ulster in the shape of Doncaster fullback David McIlwaine and flanker David Bradford, who both left the province in the summer.
Ulster Ravens:P Nelson; M Allen, I Whitten, C Farrell, C Cochrane; P Jackson, B McIlroy; C Black N Brady, A Macklin; T Barker, N McComb; A Birch, M McComish, R Diack. Replacements:Niall Annett, Conor Carey, James Simpson, Sean O'Connell, Michael Heaney, James McKinney, Ricky Andrew
