Connacht head coach Pat Lam has named his side to play Zebre at the Sportsground on Friday (kick-off 7.30pm), with just one change from the bonus point win over Cardiff Blues two weeks ago.
Tighthead prop Rodney Ah You returns to the fray after missing out on the last round with a minor injury. He joins Denis Buckley and hooker Tom McCartney in the province’s front row.
The back-line remains unchanged with winger Matt Healy (pictured below) set to make his 50th appearance in a Connacht jersey.
From the bench, versatile back Darragh Leader and Academy hooker Shane Delahunt are in line to make their seasonal debuts, while back rower Eoghan Masterson also makes a welcome return from injury.
Between the PRO12 and European competitions, this will be the 11th time that Connacht and Zebre have met since the 2012/13 season. Pat Lam’s men will be hoping to keep up their 100% winning record against the Italian side.
Commenting on the team selection and Friday’s opponents, Lam said: “It’s good to be kickstarting this 16-game run with a home game in front of our supporters. Protecting our home ground is really important to us and Friday’s game with Zebre is another ‘must win’.
“We have a lot of respect for Zebre who we’ve played a good few times over the past few seasons and each time we’ve played them, we’ve had to work collectively as a team for our wins.
“They have definitely regrouped after a big loss in the opening round and the Scarlets and Dragons just got home against them, so we expect a tough battle on Friday night.”
CONNACHT (v Zebre): Tiernan O’Halloran; Danie Poolman, Rory Parata, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Rodney Ah You, Quinn Roux, Andrew Browne, John Muldoon (capt), Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Conan O’Donnell, Finlay Bealham, Aly Muldowney, Eoghan Masterson, John Cooney, Craig Ronaldson, Darragh Leader.
This website uses cookies.
Read More