Holley defends selection as Connacht face tough opener

CONNACHT could not have wished for a tougher Magners League opening than the Ospreys when the two sides meet at the Galway Sportsground this evening (7pm).

The two-times Magners League champions, who finished fourth last season, are taking no chances against Michael Bradley’s men with 13 internationals named in their starting line-up, including a competitive Northern Hemisphere debut for former All Black Jerry Collins.

Bradley had been hoping tonight’s fixture would not feature any Lions players, but Osprey head coach Sean Holley has included scrum-half Mike Phillips in the starting XV.

Holley has defended his actions and blasted the cynics who feel the players have been rushed back too soon.

“What people have to remember is Mike only played half a season last year because of his serious injury while James barely played in the Six Nations. You also have to ask how many games he played on the Lions tour? Tom Croft played a pre-season game last week so I don’t see what the problem is. We’ve looked at both of them along with Ryan Jones and we feel we need to get them integrated back into the fold.

“We’ve only got six games before our European opener with Leicester Tigers.”

However Bradley is “very excited” about this year’s Connacht team.

“We do need to start the season well. We only had four wins last year, but we were very good at home. The attitude of the players is one of the key differences this year. The guys are doing most of the fighting now in their heads as opposed to the physical, so it will be interesting for us,” Bradley says.

He has named three of his new signings in the starting XV – former Munster wing Brian Tuohy, former Ulsterman No 8 Mike McComish, and Connacht’s biggest signing this season, former Super 14 lock from New Zealand Bernie Upton.

There are no surprises in his team selection, with Ian Keatley and Frank Murphy resuming their half-back partnership. Niva Ta’auso and Keith Matthews are in the centre, Fionn Carr and Tuohy on the wings, and Gavin Duffy completes the three-quarters.

With format changes to this year’s Magners League, and the removal of the Heineken Cup play-off spot, Connacht need to finish above one of the three Irish provinces to qualify for Europe.

“I think it certainly focuses us more,” says Bradley. “It is a straightforward equation that you have to be one of the top three teams in Ireland to quality through the Magners. We beat both Leinster and Munster at home last year – we should have beaten Cardiff and Llanelli, but we didn’t. When we start to put those games away, then we are talking about qualification for the Heineken Cup.

“I think we have a better squad and even as a organisation we are taking a harder view of ourselves. There is a serious focus on the result. I am very confident if we produce the rugby we can produce, then we can go very well this year. It starts with the Ospreys.”

CONNACHT: G Duffy, Tuohy, N Ta’auso, K Matthews, F Carr, I Keatley, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris, A Browne, B Upton, J Muldoon (capt), R Ofisa, M McComish.

Replacements: J Hagan, A Flavin, M Swift, J O’Connor, C O’Loughlin, M Nikora, T Nathan.

OSPREYS: B Davies, J Vaughton, S Parker, A Bishop, N Walker, D Biggar, M Phillips, D Jones, R Hibbard, C Griffiths, I Gough, A Lloyd, J Collins, M Holah, R Jones (cpt).