Circumspect Elwood notes Aironi improvement

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

However, manager Eric Elwood will drill two words into his side’s head before they take the field: complacency and Prato.

Connacht’s surprise European loss to Cavalieri in Prato, which cost the province a qualifying spot, is always at the back of his mind, particularly when expectations are high.

Aironi are without a win in this season’s Magners League and Connacht are expected not only to win tonight’s match, but also notch a bonus point. However, Elwood said Connacht are in no position to take any team for granted and certainly not an Italian side that will be targeting an elusive Magners League victory.

“All the statistics would suggest it is going to be an easy game, but we do not see at it like that,” he said. “We are not taking anything for granted because we are in no position to do that.”

Elwood has noted their considerable improvement of late. “They are getting better and better. In the last seven games no team has taken five points off them, and I have no doubt they will beat someone soon and I just hope it’s not us.”

Elwood has made only one enforced change to that side that overcame Treviso last Friday by 31-25 to jump into eighth place on the league table. Adrian Flavin comes in for Ireland replacement hooker Sean Cronin, with Dermot Murphy on the bench.

However, good news for Connacht is captain John Muldoon’s return to the squad after three months inaction with an arm fracture who takes his place on the bench.

Elwood is expecting a similar battle to Treviso and called on his team to show greater composure. “They will pride themselves on their set piece and maul and they like to scrummage. They also kick to put the opposition under pressure and they possess a capability to chuck the ball around as well. We are expecting a physical battle and a tough confrontation.”

Aironi coach Rowland Phillips has made one just one change to the side that lost by 23-10 to Ulster last weekend. Tito Tebaldi returns to scrum-half in a side that also boasts Nick Williams, who played with Munster for two seasons, 76 times-capped Italian captain Marco Bortolami and South African sevens player Danwel Demas.

This match is a re-fixture since the December postponement due to snow. The Connacht Branch has stated that all tickets bought pre-Christmas are still valid tonight.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; B Tuohy, N Ta’auso, T Nathan, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, J Hagan; M Swift, M McCarthy; A Browne, J O’Connor (capt), R Ofisa.

Replacements: R Loughney, D Murphy, R Ah You, B Upton, J Muldoon, C Willis, M Nikora, K Matthews.

AIRONI: J Marshall; K Robertson, G Pavan, M Pratichetti, D Demas; R Bocchino, T Tebaldi; A De Marchi, R Santamaria, U Gamboa; J Furno, M Bortolami (capt); J Sole, G Krause, N Williams.

Replacements: L Ferraro, A De March, L Redolfini, G Biagi, N Cattina, G Toniolatti, G Pizarro, G Rubini.