Connacht’s quest to qualify for next season’s European Champions Cup takes them back to Kingsholm on Sunday where they will be gunning for revenge against their Challenge Cup conquerors from earlier in the season, Gloucester.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP PLAY-OFF: Sunday, May 24
GLOUCESTER v CONNACHT, Kingsholm, 3.30pm (live BT Sport 2/Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Head coach Pat Lam has made two personnel changes to his Connacht team to face Gloucester in Sunday’s European Champions Cup play-off game at Kingsholm.
John Cooney, who was this week named in the Emerging Ireland squad, comes in to start at scrum half in the absence of the injured Kieran Marmion, while Ian Porter has been added to the replacements bench.
Marmion’s season is unfortunately over as he suffered a medial ligament tear to his left ankle against the Ospreys and is facing up to four weeks’ recovery time.
George Naoupu represents the only change to the province’s starting pack, slotting into the second row alongside Aly Muldowney.
Tighthead prop Rodney Ah You will run out for his 100th appearance for the province, packing down in a front row with Tom McCartney and Connacht Rugby Forward of the Year Denis Buckley, who was also named in the Emerging Ireland squad this week.
22-year-old Academy forward James Connolly, who made an appearance at Kingsholm in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final last month, is once again included among the replacements.
Meanwhile, Gloucester have rung the changes for the visit of Connacht. In fact, only three of the side that started last weekend’s 50-30 Aviva Premiership defeat away to Bath are retained in the starting line-up – Henry Purdy, Nick Wood and Dan Thomas.
Billy Twelvetrees will skipper the selected team which sees the return of seven fellow internationals – Charlie Sharples, Jonny May, James Hook, Greig Laidlaw, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa and Tom Palmer – who all missed out on the trip to Bath.
Bill Meakes and Ross Moriarty are both back having served suspensions picked up in the English club’s last European outing, the Challenge Cup final victory over Edinburgh three weeks ago.
And there will be a first European start for openside flanker Dan Thomas. The 21-year-old has made six starts for the club this season in domestic competition, scoring four tries.
This weekend’s fixture is a repeat of the recent Challenge Cup quarter-final between the two sides at Kingsholm which Gloucester edged narrowly on a 14-7 scoreline. The winner of Sunday’s game will progress to a final play-off tie against the seventh-placed team from France’s Top 14.
GLOUCESTER: Charlie Sharples; Jonny May, Bill Meakes, Billy Twelvetrees (capt), Henry Purdy; James Hook, Greig Laidlaw; Nick Wood, Richard Hibbard, John Afoa, Tom Savage, Tom Palmer, Jacob Rowan, Dan Thomas, Ross Moriarty.
Replacements: Darren Dawidiuk, Yann Thomas, Shaun Knight, Elliott Stooke, Lewis Ludlow, Dan Robson, Billy Burns, Rob Cook.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Fionn Carr, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, John Cooney; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Rodney Ah You, George Naoupu, Aly Muldowney, John Muldoon (capt), Eoghan Masterson, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, JP Cooney, Finlay Bealham, Andrew Browne, James Connolly, Ian Porter, Miah Nikora, Shane O’Leary.
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Gloucester to win: 1/4; Draw: 22/1; Connacht to win: 11/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “At this stage of the season, our small squad is pretty badly hit with injuries and that list of unavailable players has grown even further now with Kieran out for us as well.
“We’re going up against a quality Gloucester side stacked with international players and their top XV coming off the back of a week’s rest. There’s no doubt they have the advantage playing in their home ground so we know we will have to be at our very best as a team.
“Our season goal was to finish in the top six so we could qualify automatically for Champions Cup rugby next season. While seventh is a record finish for Connacht in the PRO12, we still have this opportunity to secure that final place so there’s huge motivation.
“Win this weekend against Gloucester and we’ll be at home the following Sunday in front of our home crowd. Connacht has never been in this position before. It’s knockout rugby. We may be battered and bruised but we’re massively excited by it.”
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester) – “It’s a massive opportunity for us. The format’s not ideal, but I think the boys are really ready for these two games.
“It’s a tough one, because you look around and other teams have finished their seasons. But we’re still involved and we do still have this chance to get into the Champions Cup and have been lucky enough to be drawn at home, so we have to make the most of it.
“We wouldn’t have had this chance based on our league standing (of ninth) and we’ll be looking to really attack these games. We’re really looking forward to it and don’t intend possibly extending our season by two weeks without getting something out of it.”
Recent Form – Gloucester – (European Challenge Cup semi-final): Won 30-19 at home to Exeter Chiefs; (Aviva Premiership): Won 42-40 at home to Newcastle Falcons; (European Challenge Cup final): Won 19-13 against Edinburgh at Twickenham Stoop; (Aviva Premiership): Won 35-13 at home to London Irish; Lost 50-30 away to Bath
Connacht – (European Challenge Cup quarter-final): Lost 14-7 away to Gloucester; (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 27-20 at home to Ulster; Lost 31-13 at home to Glasgow Warriors; Won 40-10 away to Zebre; Lost 24-20 at home to the Ospreys
Previous European Meetings: 3
Friday, April 3, 2015 – European Challenge Cup Quarter-Final – Gloucester 14 Connacht 7, Kingsholm
Saturday, December 17, 2011 – Heineken Cup Pool 6 – Gloucester 23 Connacht 19, Kingsholm
Saturday, December 10, 2011 – Heineken Cup Pool 6 – Connacht 10 Gloucester 14, the Sportsground
This website uses cookies.
Read More