IT was the Italian hoodoo all over again as Connacht slumped to a 25-13 defeat away to Aironi on Saturday evening for their third Magners League defeat on Italian soil.

ERIC ELWOOD has kept faith with the squad that has racked up five wins on the trot at home as Connacht look to record an away victory over Aironi this afternoon.

CONNACHT are targeting five home wins in a row for the first time since 2005 against Aironi in the Sportsgrounds tonight (7.45pm).

CONNACHT will be looking to grab this evening’s opportunity at the Galway Sportsground (7.05pm) to again leapfrog Magners League opponents.

CONNACHT face second-placed Scarlets in tonight’s Magners League tie at the Sportgrounds (7.35pm).

CONNACHT brought a nine match losing run to an end by notching their ninth victory on French soil on Saturday when they shocked a Bayonne side who needed to win to stay in the hunt for a quarter-final spot in the Amlin Challenge Cup.

CONNACHT bid to end their worst losing run since the game went professional over a decade and a half ago when they take on the Dragons at Rodney Parade this evening. (7.35pm).

CONNACHT have suffered another serious injury blow with number eight Ezra Taylor ruled out until at least February after breaking a bone in his hand.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood is hoping there will be no repeat of last year’s hammering at the hands of Edinburgh when the two sides meet this evening in Murrayfield (7.05pm).

CONNACHT were denied their second home victory of the Magners League season when the Ospreys struck for a match-winning try in the 78th minute at the Galway Sportsground last night.

CONNACHT’S young guns denied Manu Samoa a first win on their Northern Hemisphere tour at the Galway Sportsground last evening.

SAMOA open their northern hemisphere tour in Galway this evening when they take on a young Connacht side at the Sportsground (7.05pm).

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood reckons some of the emerging talent in the province will get a glorious chance to prove themselves when Samoa come to Galway next Tuesday.

Connacht 16 Bayonne 13

CONNACHT’S proud tradition in Europe took a beating in Italy on Saturday night, falling to tournament newcomers and underdogs I Cavalieri Estra.

CONNACHT are expecting perfect weather conditions to play some expansive rugby against newcomers I Cavalieri Estra in their opening European match in Italy this afternoon (2pm Irish time).

CARDIFF BLUES knocked Munster off their perch at the top of the Magners League table with a comfortable victory over Connacht.

CONNACHT coach Eric Elwood has slammed the “ridiculous” scheduling of their Magners League clash away to Cardiff Blues.

IN a derby fixture in which no side forged ahead by more than three points, a 15-15 draw appeared a satisfactory result.

GAME lost, but another goal achieved.

CONNACHT head coach Eric Elwood is expecting the Scarlets to be smarting tomorrow after an opening-day Magners League loss against Benetton Treviso last weekend.

ERIC ELWOOD had every reason to be “chuffed” about his side’s unexpected demolition of the Dragons on opening day.

CONNACHT’S new coaching director Eric Elwood is sweating on the availability of players before a ball has been kicked in this season’s Magners League.

ERIC ELWOOD will have a final chance to see some of the new signings in action before the real work begins as his Connacht side take on Saracens tomorrow at the Sportsground, Galway (6.30pm).

Ulster 41 Connacht 10

Coach Michael Bradley has made four changes to his final Connacht team to play Ulster in the final Magners League at Ravenhill on Friday evening.

MICHAEL BRADLEY will hope to end his seven-year stint as Connacht coach by guiding the province to their first win at Ravenhill for four decades tomorrow night.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has named a 22-man squad for what is effectively a dead rubber against Ulster in the Magner's League at Ravenhill on Friday night.

Ian Keatley has won the battle with Miah Nikora for the out-half slot on the Connacht team to play Toulon in the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final at the Sportsground tomorrow evening (kick off: 7.45pm).

Captain John Muldoon, centre Niva Ta’auso, scrum-half Frank Murphy and prop Jamie Hagan have all recovered from injury to take their places in Connacht’s 24-man squad for Friday’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Toulon at the Sportsground.

CONNACHT are set to be with-out Ray Ofisa for their mam-moth Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Toulon on Friday.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley will give Ireland U20s Tiernan O’Halloran and Eoin Griffin a chance to show what they can do in the Magner’s League against The Scarlets in Wales on Sunday.

ULSTER could face a Hellor to Connacht situation as the battle to secure Ireland’s third place in the 2010/2011 Heineken Cup in tensifies, with former Irish international heroes Michael Bradley and Eric Elwood fronting the challenge.

CONNACHT’S growing determination to keep their Heineken Cup hopes alive was epitomised by a huge hunger against title hopefuls Leinster in the Galway Sportsground last evening.

MUNSTER’S shadow side came good in a superb Magners League contest against luckless Connacht at the Sportsground last night, extracting an 18-12 victory that now places massive emphasis on next Saturday’s clash with the Ospreys at Thomond Park.

CONNACHT coach Michael Bradley has named a strong squad for Sunday’s Magners League showdown against Munster at the Sportsground (5.05pm).

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has named an extended 27-man squad for Sunday’s Magners League clash against Munster at the Sportsground (kick off: 5.05pm).

CONNACHT have received a huge boost with a number of injury doubts named in a 26-man squad for Saturday’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against Bourgoin.

Connacht 22 Edinburgh 21

A HOST of injuries has forced coach Michael Bradley to make yet more changes to his starting line-up for tonight’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at the Galway Sportsground (6pm).

Ian Keatley returns to the out-half position for Connacht for their Magner’s League home date with Edinburgh on Friday night.

MICHAEL BRADLEY has major injury worries for tomorrow night’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at the Sportsground (6pm).