One Change For Connacht

Connacht head coach Eric Elwood has announced his team and replacements to face Harlequins in Heineken Cup Pool 6 at the Sportsground on Friday (kick-off 8pm).

The selected side sees just one change to the team that took on Toulouse last weekend with Ronan Loughney replacing Dylan Rogers at tighthead prop.

Loughney was called into the O2 Ireland Wolfhounds squad on Wednesday along with four other Connacht players, Brett Wilkinson, John Muldoon, Gavin Duffy and Mike McCarthy, while Tiernan O’Halloran was called in as an additional player to train with the senior squad.

Loughney has shown great versatility this season, moving from loosehead to tighthead prop, and the Galway-man has excelled not just in the set piece but in loose play as well.

It is this form that has seen him called up for the upcoming game against England Saxons.

Loughney, who is five appearances short of 100 provincial caps, adds to an already experienced Connacht pack with the eight forwards boasting 991 caps between them.

Full-back and captain Gavin Duffy will use his experience to marshal the youthful back-line whose fresh and dynamic approach have encapsulated Connacht’s style during the campaign.

CONNACHT (v Harlequins): Gavin Duffy (capt); Fetu’u Vainikolo, Kyle Tonetti, David McSharry, Tiernan O’Halloran; Niall O’Connor, Paul O’Donohoe; Brett Wilkinson, Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney, Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy, John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, George Naoupu.

Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Denis Buckley, Dylan Rogers, Michael Kearney, Eoin McKeon, David Moore, Miah Nikora, Henry Fa’afili.