Bradley bids to end on a high

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.

Ulster’s victory in Edinburgh ensured Connacht can’t overhaul them in their bid to claim a place in next season’s Heineken Cup, but Bradley wants to end the season on a high.

The westerners have not won in Ravenhill since a 6-3 win in November 1960, but Bradley has selected his strongest squad in a bid to end that losing streak.

A foot injury has ruled out their longest serving player, Michael Swift, who joins centre Keith Matthews, flanker Ray Ofisa and young winger Tiernan O’Halloran on the sideline. Ulster defeated Connacht 30-6 at the Sportsground in September but Bradley is hopeful they can reverse that this time round.

Bradley said: “Ulster played very well when they came to the Sportsground back in September. They took their chances and we will be looking to put the record straight and finish our season on a high. We still see Ulster as a yardstick to measure our season against, even though there’s nothing to play for in terms of qualifying for the Heineken Cup. Our focus remains at improving our away from home form and getting a result in Ravenhill.”

CONNACHT SQUAD: Backs: F Carr, G Duffy, I Keatley, F Murphy, T Nathan, M Nikora, C O’Loughlin, N Ta’auso, B Tuohy, A Wynne.

Forwards: A Browne, S Cronin, A Flavin, J Hagan, R Loughney, M McCarthy, M McComish, R Morris, J Muldoon, G Naoupu, J O’Connor, B Upton.