Connacht ready for Glasgow backlash

Connacht will view this evening’s Pro12 fixture against Glasgow Warriors at the Galway Sportsground (5.30pm) as a must-win if they want to improve on last season’s league finish.

In the first of two successive home games against Scottish opposition, Connacht would have traditionally viewed the Warriors as the fixture more likely to achieve a victory. The home side has a strong record against Glasgow — they have won every Celtic League clash in Galway since 2007 and they have not been beaten by the Warriors since 2009. However, this year the Warriors, who have traditionally taken a back seat to Edinburgh, are in flying form, perched in third place, some four points adrift of the Ospreys, and enjoying one of their best league seasons.

As a result Connacht coach Eric Elwood knows they travel to Galway in confident mood, determined to reverse their poor record against his side.

While Connacht missed an opportunity last weekend away to Cardiff, Glasgow grabbed their eighth win from 14 outings with a 19-9 victory over the Scarlets. Fourteen points from the boot of Ruaridh Jackson coupled with a Jon Welsh try were enough to seal the victory, and Jackson will be keen to punish any indiscipline in the Connacht camp again this weekend.

Connacht will be without Ray Ofisa and Dave McSharry both injured last weekend, which has necessitated two changes. Openside flanker Eoghan Grace joins John Muldoon and George Naoupu in the back row, while Henry Fa’afili comes in for McSharry.

Connacht Rugby will hold a minute’s silence before the game for former colleague David O’Hara who passed away tragically this week. David was a club community rugby officer who worked with An Ghaeltacht and Oughterard rugby clubs. A member of Galwegians RFC, he played in last weekend’s Ulster Bank League fixture against Ballymena.

CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, H Fa’afili T O’Halloran; N O’Connor, P O’Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Loughney, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, E Grace, G Naoupu.

Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, S Maguire, D Gannon, M Kearney, D Moore, M Jarvis, E Griffin.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: P Murchie, T Seymour, T Nathan, G Morrison (cpt), D Lemi, R Jackson, H Pyrgos, R Grant, P MacArthur, J Welsh, R Verbakel, T Ryder, R Harley, C Fusaro, R Wilson. Replacements: F Gillies, G Reid, G Hunter, N Campbell, D Weir, A Dunbar, C Shaw, C Forrester.