Connacht get right back to business
Having faced English Premiership leaders Harlequins and French champions Toulouse in Heineken Cup action for the last two weeks, Connacht now entertain the Pro12 pacesetters. The Ospreys arrive in Galway having lost just once in their eight league fixtures although they slumped to a draw last weekend against Treviso in the Heineken Cup.
They are also missing seven internationals, who are on duty with the Wales squad ahead of the clash with Australia, although with the likes of Tommy Bowe, and the duo of Duncan Jones and Ian Gough, making their 150th and 100th appearances respectively, the Welsh side travel with plenty of experience.
Connacht coach Eric Elwood is also missing his two first-choice locks, Michael Swift with a knee injury and Mike McCarthy, suspended for two weeks after his citing for a high tackle on Toulouse’s Vincent Clerc was upheld. Elwood has moved No 8 George Naoupu to the second row to partner Dave Gannon, while TJ Anderson comes in to the blindside and Ray Ofisa is named at No 8. In the backs Henry Fa’afili comes in for the injured Eoin Griffin.
Elwood said: “Though we did not get the results we would have liked in the European games, we played at a different level of intensity and performance.
“The experience will pay dividends, but we’ve to match that with the performance and a win if possible.”
CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt), B Tuphy, D McSharry, J Fa’afili, T O’Halloran, M Nikora, P O’Donohoe, B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Ah You, D Gannon, G Naoupu, TJ Anderson, J Muldoon, R Ofisa.
Replacements: E Reynekce, R Loughney, S Maguire, M Kearney, E Grace, F Murphy, N O’Connor, M McCrea.
OSPREYS: B Davis, T Bowe, A Bishop, A Beck, R Fussell, M Morgan, R Webb, D Jones, R Hibbard, A Jarvis, I Gough, J King, T Smith (capt), C O’Toole, J Bearnman.
Replacements: M Davis, C Griffths, J Rees, J Goode, G Stowers, T Isaacs, S Parker, H Dirksen.
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