Connacht name team to take on Narbonne

Number eight John Muldoon, props Ray Hogan and Stephen Knoop, second-row Christian Short, out-half Paul Warwick and centre James Downey make up a party of six players that will make their European débuts for Connacht at Narbonne in the first round of the Parker Pen Challenge Cup on Saturday (6.30pm Irish time).

Connacht will hope that they can get the better of the French club in the two-legged format for the third year running, and coach Michael Bradley has taken the unusual step of including five forwards and only two backs on the bench.