Connacht Face Tough Assignment.

Connacht face a tough assignment today at Heywood Park where the home side will parade their new signing, Springbok hooker Charl Marais, ahead of his debut next week against Saracens.

Sale will go into this game full of confidence following last week’s narrow win in Galway, but Connacht can take heart from the performances last night of both Leinster and Ulster and know that a victory here is not beyond them.

Sale coach Jim Mallender has rotated his squad and six of last week’s replacements’ bench start this afternoon making this effectively the Sale team that finished last week, except for fit-again Samoan flanker Apollo Perelini, who was a late withdrawal seven days ago.

Connacht welcome back Johnny O’Connor and give Mark McHugh a place in the starting line up and both could give this Connacht side the type of boost they need.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; P Duignan, W Munn, T Allnutt, J Ferris; M McHugh, E Reddan; D
cFarland, T Kearns, P Bracken, R Frost, D Browne, P Neville, C Rigney, J O’Connor. Replacements: R McCormack, H Bourke, A Maher, M Swift, E Elwood, M McPhail, D McCabe.

SALE: V Going; M Cueto, M Shaw, M Deane, A Elliott; C Hodgson, J Bramhall; A Black, A Titterrell, S Turner, I Fullerton, M Giacheri, A Perelini, A Sanderson, R Wilks. Replacements: A Dickens, S Hanley, S Davidson, S Lines, K Yates, P Anglesea, B Jackman.

Referee: S Mancini (Italy).