Connacht make eight changes for Neath game

The Connacht team to play Neath-Swansea Ospreys at St Helen's on Friday night shows eight changes from that which went down to Llanelli at the weekend.

The changes to the side are a combination of injuries and a rotation policy by coach Michael Bradley.

In all, nine players are ruled out by injury for this game.

Prop Peter Bracken will not be back until the New Year and he has been joined on the casualty list by fellow props Warren O'Kelly (finger) and Ray Hogan (shoulder), centres Shane Moore (back) and Darren Yapp (hip), hookers Marnus Uijs (knee) and John Fogarty (dead leg), and flankers Michael Swift (hamstring) and Matt Lacey (shin).

David Hewitt will start at full-back with Ted Robinson coming into the side on the right-wing.

Matt Mostyn moves to the centre with Wayne Munn selected on the left-wing.

Dan McFarland comes in at loosehead with Adrian Clarke at tighthead, while Mike McCarthy is selected in the second row where he partners Damian Browne.

In the back row, Irish U-21 John Muldoon makes his first start for Connacht at blindside with Paul Neville switching to openside and Michael Carroll coming in at No.8.

Connacht (v Neath-Swansea): David Hewitt, Ted Robinson, Matt Mostyn, Tim Allnutt, Wayne Munn, Eric Elwood, Mike Walls, Dan McFarland, Bernard Jackman, Adrian Clarke, Damian Browne, Mike McCarthy, John Muldoon, Paul Neville, Michael Carroll.

Replacements: Henry Bourke, Fabian Boiroux, Andrew Farley, John O¹Sullivan, Conor O¹Loughlin, Conor McPhillips, Mark McHugh