Connacht make ten changes for Castres match

Michael Bradley has announced his side to face Castres Olympique in the return match at the Sportsground on Saturday September 1, (kick off 4pm).

The side shows ten changes as well as three positional switches from the side which played Castres on Tuesday evening.

Andrew Farley is recalled and named as Captain in the second row alongside David Gannon, in place of Andrew Browne and Michael Swift.

Ofisa Treviranus is recalled on the right wing in place of Alipate Tuilevuka and John Hearty moves from outside centre to the left wing, in place of Darren Yapp, as Mel Deane moves to his place at outside centre.

There is a new half back partnership, as Tim Donnelly and Conor McPhillips start in place of Peter Durcan and Rob Shaw, and in the front row, Brett Wilkinson moves back to loosehead prop in place of John Lyne, with Adrian Flavin stepping in at hooker for Joe Merrigan and Brian McGovern starting at tighthead.

In the back row Colm Rigney comes back in at number eight in place of John Muldoon and Michael McCarthy comes in at number six in place of Ray Ofisa.

In all, eleven replacements are named with Bradley trying to get his players as much game time as possible ahead of the new season.

Connacht:

D Riordan; O Treviranus, M Deane, K Matthews, J Hearty; T Donnelly, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, B McGovern; D Gannon, A Farley (C); M McCarthy, J O’Connor, C Rigney.

Replacements from:

J Fogarty, J Merrigan, J Lyne, K Moran, R Morris, M Swift, J Muldoon, T Tierney, P Durcan, A Wynne, D Yapp.