Connacht and Ulster ring changes for Challenge Cup clashes against Black Lion and Cardiff

Connacht make 11 changes while Tom Stewart will captain the side for the first time as Murphy rings the changes to the side that emphatically defeated Racing 92 in the opening round.

STATEMENT RESPONSE: Stuart Lancaster is looking for a statement response from Connacht against Black Lion after they blew a 21-0 lead away to Ospreys on Sunday. Picture: Kian Abdullah/Sportsfile

Stuart Lancaster is looking for a statement response from Connacht against Black Lion after they blew a 21-0 lead away to Ospreys on Sunday.

He’s looking for a response this Saturday night (8pm) when the Georgians, who have former Connacht winger and coach Conor McPhillips part of their management team, come to town.

Black Lion, coached by former England hooker and much-travelled coach Richard Cockerill who also looks after the Georgia side, lost their opening game 24-13 at home to Montpellier at the weekend, having raced into a 13-0 lead.

“It's a completely different challenge,” said Lancaster. “We've got a good group of players who didn't play last week coming.

“I know Richard Cockerill, who coaches them pretty well, so I know the type of game plan they'll come with. It's essentially the Georgia team minus the Georgian internationals who play in France. So we know what to expect … physical, big scrum, power. We have to muscle up.

“But the reality is, whatever team we put out, we need to be more consistent for the 80 minutes. As we were against the Sharks, that was a complete performance. Whereas this had elements of really good stuff, but there was an element of frustration from us that we didn't play for the full 80,” added Lancaster.

Connacht fans had hoped that losing big leads had become a thing of the past since Lancaster took over in the summer. Sunday’s collapse was unique. Their dominant scrum, winning penalties on both their and the Ospreys’ feed, gave them the platform to build a big lead but the binning of the home loosehead Garyn Phillips changed everything. His replacement Gareth Thomas turned the scrum in favour of Ospreys, Connacht heads dropped, mistakes popped up all over the place and the Welsh secured an unlikely win.

Injuries to Irish internationals Finlay Bealham and Jack Aungier have stretched Connacht this week with Sam Illo making his 37th appearance, while replacement tighthead Fiachna Barrett from Geesala on the Errris peninsula is one to watch. He’s 6’4”, over 20 and a half stone, won an U-20 Six Nations grand slam and now, in his fourth appearance, gets the chance to test himself against a Georgian front row.

Black Lion will undoubtedly present a forward threat but Connacht should have enough collect all five points.

Lancaster has made eleven changes, more to do with rotation and injuries rather than a reaction to blowing the 21-0 lead in Bridgend on Sunday.

Jack Carty is one of the four retained, while the other back to start will be new signing Sam Gilbert who switches from centre to his more accustomed full-back role.

Hooker Dave Heffernan and No.8 Seán Jansen are the only two forwards retained while Jordan Duggan and Sam Illo are the starting props where Finlay Bealham and Jack Aungier are out through injury. Academy prop Billy Bohan, a former Irish U-20 and the latest to emerge from Kildare, is poised for his debut off the bench.

Bundee Aki is rested while David Hawkshaw returns from injury and is on the bench where Harry West could make his third appearance in the backline.

Elsewhere, Ulster head coach Richie Murphy has named his side to face Cardiff at the Cardiff Arms Park (8pm). Tom Stewart will captain the side for the first time as Murphy rings the changes to the side that emphatically defeated Racing 92 in the opening round.

Callum Reid and Tom O'Toole join Stewart in the front row. Harry Sheridan and Charlie Irvine continue in the second row. The back row sees David McCann at blindside, Sean Reffell at openside and Bryn Ward in teh No.8 jersey.

Conor McKee and Jake Flannery start at out-halves while Ben Carson and James Hume partner at centre. Zac Ward and Werner Kok start on the wings with Stewart Moore at full-back.

CONNACHT: S Gilbert, C Mullins, H Gavin, C Forde, S Bolton; J Carty, C Blade; J Duggan, D Heffernan, S Illo; D Murray, N Murray; P Boyle (c), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen. Replacements: D Tierney-Martin, B Bohan, F Barrett, J Joyce, S O'Brien, M Devine, D Hawkshaw, H West 

BLACK LION: L Takaishvili; A Tabutsadze, D Tapladze, T Kakhoidze, S Aptsiauri; L Tsirekidze, T Peranidze; N Khatiashvili, I Kvatadze, K Darbaidze; M Babunashvili (c), D Epremidze, L Tsikhistavi, G Tsutskiridze, G Sinauridze. Replacements: S Mamukashvili, V Kakovin, G Chkhartishvili, G Ganiashvili, G Kervalishvili, G Spenderashvili, Z Lutidze, S Todua.

CARDIFF: L Halfpenny, J Adams, H Millard, B Thomas, T Bowen, C Sheedy, A Davies; R Barratt, D Hughes, K Assiratti, G Nott, R Thornton, J Botham, D Thomas, A Lawrence (c) Replacements: E Lloyd, D Southworth, S Wainwright, J McNally, A Mann, E Bevan, J Beetham, C Winnett 

ULSTER: S Moore, W Kok, J Hume, B Carson, Z Ward, J Flannery, C McKee; C Reid, T Stewart (c), T O'Toole, H Sheridan, C Irvine, D McCann, S Reffell, B Ward Replacements: J Andrew, A Bell, R McGuire, C Izuchukwu, J Augustus, D Shanahan, J Humphreys, B McNamara