Less than a week on from playing in sub-zero temperatures in Siberia, a slightly travel-weary Connacht will look to protect their unbeaten home record this season when they host French visitors Brive.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 1: Saturday, November 21
CONNACHT (1st) v BRIVE (2nd), the Sportsground, 5pm (live Galway Bay FM)
Team News: Ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup round 2 match against Brive at the Sportsground, Connacht head coach Pat Lam has made 13 changes to the team that started in Siberia last weekend.
However, 13 of the 23-man matchday squad that will line out on Saturday evening made the seven-day round trip to Russia last week.
Bundee Aki and Rory Parata, one of the try scorers against Enisei-STM, are retained in the back-line, while Jack Carty, who was also in Russia, is handed the reins at out-half. The Athlone man is joined by Ireland international Kieran Marmion at half-back.
Full-back Tiernan O’Halloran will captain the side for the second time this season, while Robbie Henshaw and Danie Poolman also return to boost the side.
Up front, Jason Harris-Wright will make his seasonal debut after returning from long-term injury. The fit-again hooker is joined in the front row by Ireland internationals Ronan Loughney and Nathan White, who makes his 50th appearance for the province.
Having lined out for Connacht Eagles in the British & Irish Cup last Saturday, Ben Marshall (pictured below) returns from injury to start in the second row alongside Galway man Andrew Browne. The back row is made up of Eoghan Masterson, October’s Player of the Month Nepia Fox-Matamua and Eoin McKeon.
All of the replacements for this weekend, including try-scoring winger Niyi Adeolokun and 19-year-old Academy prop Conan O’Donnell, were involved in the 31-14 win over Enisei-STM six days ago.
Meanwhile, Brive boss Nicolas Godignon has made six changes to the team that opened the tournament with a 13-9 home success against Newcastle Falcons.
Benjamin Petre comes in to join Australian Christopher Tuatara in the centre, with the two half-backs changed – Nicolas Bezy and Bastien Duhalde make way for Matthieu Ugalde and Jean-Baptiste Pejoine respectively. Veteran scrum half Pejoine captains the side in place of benched flanker Said Hireche.
Kevin Buys gets the nod at tighthead prop, with fellow South African and former Scarlets player Johan Snyman selected in the second row and ex-Stade Francais clubman Hugues Briatte added to the back row alongside Poutasi Luafutu, the man-of-the-match against Newcastle, and Kiwi number 8 William Whetton.
Notably, Brive’s away form in Europe is not great and while their four-point round 1 triumph over Newcastle ended a run of seven straight defeats, they have lost their last four Challenge Cup games on the road.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran (capt); Rory Parata, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Danie Poolman; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Ronan Loughney, Jason Harris-Wright, Nathan White, Ben Marshall, Andrew Browne, Eoghan Masterson, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Conan O’Donnell, Finlay Bealham, Daniel Qualter, George Naoupu, Ian Porter, Craig Ronaldson, Niyi Adeolokun.
BRIVE: Romain Sola; Elia Radikedike, Benjamin Petre, Christopher Tuatara, Benito Masilevu; Matthieu Ugalde, Jean-Baptiste Pejoine (capt); Damien Lavergne, Thomas Acquier, Kevin Buys, Johan Snyman, Wilhem Steenkamp, Hugues Briatte, Poutasi Luafutu, William Whetton.
Replacements: Guillaume Ribes, Goderzi Shvelidze, Giorgi Jgenti, Victor Lebas, Said Hireche, Teddy Iribaren, Alfifeleti Mafi, Sevanaia Galala.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Small, Nigel Carrick (both England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 1/25; Draw: 45/1; Brive to win: 11/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “With injuries to players, we knew before the trip to Russia that we would need guys to double up for rounds 1 and 2 and we were prepared for that.
“While we weren’t prepared for the shortened three-day week, we have just said all week that we can’t control these things and I am impressed with the way the management and players have fronted up to get ready for this game as best we can.
“We had later starts this week and trained into the evenings to allow the guys coming back from Russia to recover as much as possible. The attitude has been really positive and upbeat. There is huge competition for places in this squad and players are raring to go.
“Three days spent in airports and hotels gave us a good bit of time to build on our analysis on Brive and we had a good look at their win over Newcastle. We know that they are going to be very physical and a good challenge for us.
“We are really proud of our home record this season and we are looking forward to being back in front of our home supporters in the warmth of Galway on Saturday.”
Current Form – Connacht – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 29-23 at home to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Lost 33-32 away to Glasgow Warriors; Won 36-31 at home to Cardiff Blues; Won 34-15 at home to Zebre; Won 21-16 away to the Ospreys; Won 14-9 at home to Edinburgh; Won 33-19 at home to Benetton Treviso; (European Challenge Cup): Won 31-14 away to Enisei-STM
Brive – (Top 14 Championship): Lost 24-7 away to Toulouse; Won 22-13 at home to Stade Francais; Lost 21-18 away to La Rochelle; Won 18-12 at home to Agen; Won 29-26 at home to Toulon; Won 18-13 away to Pau; Lost 17-14 away to Racing 92; Won 16-3 at home to Bordeaux-Begles; (European Challenge Cup): Won 13-9 at home to Newcastle Falcons
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Challenge Cup: Connacht – Points: AJ MacGinty 9; Tries: Niyi Adeolokun, John Muldoon, Darragh Leader, Rory Parata 1 each; Brive – Points: Nicolas Bezy 8; Tries: Elia Radikedike 1
Previous European Meetings: 2
Friday, January 18, 2008 – Pool 3 – Connacht 15 Brive 22, the Sportsground
Friday, November 9, 2007 – Pool 3 – Brive 15 Connacht 6, Stade Amédée-Domenech
Match Facts –
– Brive have won both of the two games previously played between these sides in the Challenge Cup, though they have both been low-scoring affairs with the combined score line reading 37-21 in favour of Brive
– Brive’s only other match against an Irish team in the Challenge Cup was in the 2011 quarter-final when they lost to Munster (42-37)
– Connacht have won 11 of their last 12 clashes with French opposition and are undefeated in their last six such games
– The last time Connacht lost consecutive home fixtures in the Challenge Cup was their opening home pool match of the 2008/09 tournament
– A loss for Brive would be their fifth consecutive defeat away from home, setting a new club record within the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup Records:
Connacht –
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Reached the semi-finals
2002/03: Reached the quarter-finals
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
Brive –
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Reached the semi-finals
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Reached the quarter-finals
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Reached the quarter-finals
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 7
1998/99: Reached the semi-finals
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