Elwood names Jarvis at pivot for Harlequins showdown

With Dan Parks unavailable through injury Eric Elwood has selected 22-year-old Matthew Jarvis at flyhalf for Saturday's Heineken Cup round 5 game against Harlequins at the Stoop (1.35pm).

Jarvis will be making his third Heineken Cup appearance after coming off the bench in the back-to-back fixtures against Biarritz.

Elwood, has made a total of three personnel changes to the team that beat Dragons last Saturday evening.

The back row has been boosted with the return from injury of flanker Johnny O'Connor, who missed out on last weekend's clash.

O'Connor starts at openside while Eoin McKeon, who this week signed a two year extended contract with the province, moves to Number 8, replacing the injured George Naoupu.

In the back line, Tiernan O'Halloran starts on the right wing while Fetu'u Vainikolo is named at number 11.

Miah Nikora, who returned to training last week following injury, is named on the bench along with replacement winger James Loxton, who could earn his first Heineken Cup appearance on Saturday afternoon.

Elwood knows his side are in for a big challenge against a form team but he hopes the sides can reproduce the quality of rugby displayed when the sides met at the Sportsground in Round 2.

"This weekend is a massive opportunity for us,” he said.

“We’re going to play a hugely strong team who are English champions and top of the league at the moment. They've blitzed everybody in our pool so far.

“But the good news for us is that we're going there with confidence after the win against Dragons last week.

"We had a great game against Quins here in October where we both tried to play ball and we're going to have the same mind-set this week.

“Its Heineken Cup rugby and we want to show people what we can do.

“It's going to be difficult but we know the challenge facing us and we want to play our game."

Connacht (v. Harlequins): R Henshaw; T O’Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; D M Jarivs, K Marmion; D Buckely, J Harris-Wright, N White; M Swift, M McCarthy; A Browne, J O’Connor, E McKeon.

Replacements: E Reynecke, B Wilkinson, R Loughney, M Kearney, E Grace, P O’Donohoe, M Nikora, J Loxton.

Unavailable through injury: Gavin Duffy, Willie Faloon, Matt Healy, John Muldoon, Frank Murphy, George Naoupu, Dave Nolan, Dan Parks, Danie Poolman, Danny Qualter, Kyle Tonetti.