Elwood delivers home truths in effort to end Connacht slide

AFTER seven defeats on the bounce, Connacht’s Pro12 fixture with Treviso at the Galway Sporstground tomorrow is a must-win for the home side.

Coach Eric Elwood says Connacht need to “roll up their sleeves” to ensure they arrest their recent poor run which last weekend saw them fall at home to the Ospreys 17-6 in what was a winnable game for the Irish province.

“We have had harsh words this week and we have to believe in what we do; work hard, persevere, and it will come,” he said. “I was hoping it would come last weekend, it didn’t, but the lads know we just need to get that win this evening.”

Elwood welcomes back lock Michael Swift in one of seven changes to the side, which sees centre Kyle Tonetti make his first appearance since joining from Sale, and Ray Ofisa earning his 100th cap.

Connacht caught Treviso by surprise in the opening round, squeezing out an 11-9 win, but Elwood says they are travelling west with some 11 internationals in their squad.

Eight are named in the starting XV, including five in a much-changed pack that lost to Leinster last weekend. Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet together with Franco Sbaraglini as hooker and Michele Rizzo form an all-international front row.

Meanwhile, Ulster scrum-half Ruan Pienaar came through a fitness test yesterday and will play some part in their clash with fifth-placed Scarlets at Ravenhill tonight.

Originally omitted from the provisional squad due to a hamstring injury, Pienaar came through a strenuous test and was immediately pitched into the match day squad by coach Brian McLaughlin, who is trying to kick-start his side’s season after they slumped to eighth place.

Stephen Ferris, Rory Best, John Afoa, Craig Gilroy and Chris Henry all return to the front line, with Robbie Diack, Willie Faloon, Declan Fitzpatrick, Andi Kyriacou and Simon Danielli taking a back seat.

“I’m as fresh as a daisy,” said Henry, who has been Ulster’s most consistent player this season. “There is no doubt that the player management programme is working well. You will notice that all the best teams play their best rugby at the end of the season when it matters and that is because players are given a rest at the appropriate times. I could have kept playing on but I had a few bumps and bruises and was glad of a little rest. I now believe we have the players to enable the coach to mix and match.”

CONNACHT (v Treviso): G Duffy, M McCrea, K Tonetti, D McSharry,T O’Halloran, N O’Connor, F Murphy, B Wilkinson, E Reynecke, R Loughney, M Swift, G Naoupu, D Gannon, J Muldoon, R Ofisa. Replacements, A Flavin, D Buckley, R Ah You, M Kearney, E Grace, P O’Donohoe, M Jarvis, F Vainikolo.

ULSTER (v Scarlets): A D’Arcy; A Trimble, D Cave, N Spence, C Gilroy; I Humphreys, P Marshall; T Court, R Best, J Afoa, J Muller (capt), D Tuohy, S Ferris, C Henry, P Wannenburg. Replacements: N Brady, P McAllister, A Macklin, L Stevenson, R Diack, R Pienaar, P Jackson, I Whitten.