Elwood brings in Tongan winger for Connacht

Following last weekend’s brave display against play-off hopefuls Munster Head Coach Eric Elwood has opted to make just one change to his starting XV for their RaboDirect PRO12 clash with the Dragons at Rodney Parade tomorrow (7.15pm).

In the back line, Tongan international Fetu’u Vainikolo starts on the wing with Kyle Tonetti moving to his more familiar centre position in place of the injured Eoin Griffin.

Griffin picked up a knee injury in the inter-provincial clash last Saturday.

The successful half-back pairing of Frank Murphy and Miah Nikora continues. Nikora kicked 11 of Connacht’s 16 points last weekend.

He works inside centres Fa’afili and Tonetti with Tiernan O’Halloran, Fetu’u Vainikolo and captain Gavin Duffy completing the backline.

The pack remains the same and following last week’s impressive performance in the scrum and line-out with Irish Wolfhounds Brett Wilkinson and Ronan Loughney either side of try-scorer Ethienne Reynecke in the front-row.

Mike McCarthy and Michael Swift make up the second-row and the Academy’s Mick Kearney continues his rise through the ranks at blindside flanker, joined by the abrasive Ray Ofisa and talismanic John Muldoon in the back-row.

Connacht (v. Dragons): G Duffy; F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, H Fa’afili, T O’Halloran; M Nikora, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, E Reynecke, R Loughney; M Swift, M McCarthy; M Kearney, R Ofisa, J Muldoon.

Replacements: A Flavin, F Bealham, R Ah You, E McKeon, E Grace, P O’Donohoe, M Jarvis, D McSharry.