Connacht name team to play Narbonne

Connacht return to the south of France this weekend for the third time in seven weeks for a quarter-final clash with Narbonne in the Parker Pen European Challenge Cup.

This will be the third season in a row that the sides have met in the competition. Last season Connacht overturned a 15-point deficit from the first leg in France to sneak through 50-49 on aggregate.

And there promises to be little between the sides this time round again with Narbonne going into the clash after hammering London Irish 29-10 at the weekend.

Connacht, having done the hard work at home against Pau, advanced on a 35-17 aggregate scoreline and have made just one change to the side and one to the bench for this clash.

Conor McPhillips returns to the side on the left-wing with Ted Robinson named among the replacements, while scrum-half Conor O'Loughlin comes back into the squad on the bench in place of Chris Keane as part of Connacht's rotation policy.

Connacht came away from their bruising encounter with Pau on Saturday night without any new injury worries.

Prop Peter Bracken and flanker Paul Neville are among a number of injured players who are likely to come back into contention for selection for the second leg at the Sportsground on Saturday week.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley is pleased with the way Connacht have dealt with their French challenges this season and is pleased that they are away in the first leg.

"It suits us better to be playing away in the first leg," said Bradley. "We will know exactly what we will have to do when Narbonne come to the Galway Sportsground the following Saturday ­ and that just might make all the difference.

"This will be the third season in a row that we will have played Narbonne in the tournament so we know them pretty well ­ you could say we are renewing old rivalries ­ and at the moment it is all square.

"In 2001 / 2002 both Pool 4 games went with home advantage, and it was the same in Round 2 last season, Connacht going through to the quarter-finals with just a single point advantage.

"The Parker Pen Challenge Cup is a tough and hard tournament ­ but also a great experience and tremendously exciting. We have guaranteed ourselves two more weeks in Europe and it is great for Connacht to be mentioned in winning ways.

"The performances against Beziers and Pau, two big physical sides, were most pleasing and our defence has been outstanding.

"You know when you go to France you are unlikely to see much of the ball and the work Mike Ford has done with us in that area has really paid off handsomely. I am happy with our defence," said the Connacht coach.

Meanwhile, Narbonne, who fired their coach prior to the games against London Irish, are confident that they can gain revenge for last season's reverse against Connacht, according to joint head coach Jean-Francois Beltran.

"We have to show the same commitment in the quarter-finals that we put in over the last two weekends. Many of the teams in the Challenge Cup only narrowly missed out on Heineken Cup qualification so it is great to be playing against these teams and if we get to the semi-finals, anything can happen ­ we would love to go all the way again.

"The fact that we are at home first this time doesn't change a thing. On Saturday, we know we have to win with as big a margin as possible because Connacht is not an easy place to play."

Saturday night's game takes place at Parce des Sports et de l'Amitie in Narbonne, kicking off at 7.30pm (6.30pm Irish time). The return leg takes place the following Saturday, January 31, at the Sportsground in Galway with a 2pm kick-off.

CONNACHT v Narbonne: M. McHugh; M. Mostyn, D. Yapp, T. Allnutt (capt.), C. McPhillips; E. Elwood, M. Walls; D. McFarland, B. Jackman, A. Clarke; D. Browne, A. Farley; M. Swift, M. Lacey, J. O¹Sullivan.

Replacements: J. Fogarty, W. O¹Kelly, M. McCarthy, T. Carter, C. O¹Loughlin, D. Hewitt, T. Robinson.