All the ingredients are pointing to a cracking contest between Connacht and Munster at a sold-out Sportsground tonight, with only three points separating the sides in Conference A and Denis Buckley and Billy Holland both reaching personal milestones.
GUINNESS PRO14: Saturday, January 5
CONNACHT (3rd, Con A) v MUNSTER (2nd, Con A), the Sportsground, 7.35pm (live TG4/eir Sport 1/Premier Sports 2/Galway Bay FM/RTÉ Radio 1)
Team News: Roscommon-born prop Denis Buckley is set to make his 150th appearance for Connacht in tonight’s eagerly-waited GUINNESS PRO14 derby against Munster at the Sportsground.
Tickets for the Galway encounter between two of Conference A’s leading three teams have completely sold out as Andy Friend’s side head into the New Year on the back of six wins in their last seven games.
Buckley is named in a front row led by hooker Dave Heffernan who takes over the captaincy from Jarrad Butler who picked up a knock during last weekend’s win over Ulster. Quinn Roux and Gavin Thornbury continue as the province’s starting locks with Ultan Dillane on the bench.
Paul Boyle and Eoghan Masterson join Heffernan and tighthead Dominic Robertson-McCoy as the four changes up front, while debutant Tom Daly, who joined Connacht on loan from Leinster last month, pairs up with Tom Farrell in midfield.
Matt Healy, the province’s record try scorer, makes a welcome return from injury on the left wing, with Jack Carty and Caolin Blade, who is named in a Connacht matchday squad for the 16th match in a row, marshalling an otherwise unchanged back-line.
Meanwhile, Peter O’Mahony, who missed last Saturday’s derby victory at home to Leinster, captains a Munster team showing seven personnel changes. Chris Farrell returns from a thigh injury and Tommy O’Donnell, Alex Wootton, Alby Mathewson, Jeremy Loughman and Arno Botha also come into the starting XV.
Corkman Billy Holland is named among the replacements and is set to make a landmark 200th Munster appearance. In doing so, Holland will become only the tenth Munster player to play 200 senior games for the province.
Andrew Conway moves to full-back for the round 13 clash in Galway, with Keith Earls on the right wing and Wootton on the opposite side. Dan Goggin is joined by the fit-again Farrell in the centre with New Zealander Mathewson linking up with Joey Carbery at half-back.
Loughman packs down in the front row with Niall Scannell and John Ryan, and Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne, the man-of-the-match winner against Leinster last time out, continue together in the second row. O’Mahony, O’Donnell and Botha form a completely new back row.
CONNACHT: Darragh Leader; Cian Kelleher, Tom Farrell, Tom Daly, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan (capt), Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Gavin Thornbury, Quinn Roux, Paul Boyle, Colby Fainga’a, Eoghan Masterson.
Replacements: Tom McCartney, Peter McCabe, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Cillian Gallagher, Angus Lloyd, David Horwitz, Colm de Buitlear.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Dan Goggin, Alex Wootton; Joey Carbery, Alby Mathewson; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, Arno Botha.
Replacements: Kevin O’Byrne, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Billy Holland, CJ Stander, Conor Murray, Tyler Bleyendaal, Sam Arnold.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Ben Blain (Scotland), Paul Haycock (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 8/5; Draw: 22/1; Munster to win: 8/15
Pre-Match Quotes: Andy Friend (Connacht) – “This block of three interpros is a tough series of fixtures and has a huge bearing on the overall context of the season. We were disappointed to lose narrowly to Leinster in Dublin but we showed great character to bounce back and beat a really tough Ulster side last weekend.
“This clash with Munster is a big game and we’ll have to put in a huge performance to get a result on Saturday. As always though we will focus on our game. That’s where our focus has been all week and that’s where it has been all season.
“Dave Heffernan takes over the captaincy from Jarrad this week as he is carrying a knock. It’s also a huge occasion for Denis Buckley and his family as he will play his 150th game in a Connacht jersey.
“We’re looking forward to another huge occasion in the Sportsground and we can see the people of the province have voted with their feet again with the game completely sold out since early in the week. They’ve been huge for us this season both home and away and we will be looking to feed off them again on Saturday night.”
Dan Goggin (Munster) – “I didn’t get to play last year against Connacht up there because of the injury but I played the year before and we won. It must have been one of the worst in terms of weather that I have ever played in.
“I think we’re three points ahead of them at the moment in the Conference A table and if we win we can go seven or eight clear. But if we don’t they will go ahead of us so it’s a hugely important game. It’s just up to us how will we manage it because we know they are a form side.
“They were very unlucky not to get the win away to Leinster and they were in super form against Ulster. Tom Farrell is the top offloader in the league so far this season with 16 or 17 and that’s unbelievable. I’ve played against him before.
“Connacht’s attacking platform is second to none and it’s up to us how well we manage that in defence. We will be watching for the key players, they have speed on the outside, strength in the middle, and then they have Jack Carty pulling strings all over the place.”
Top Scorers – 2018/19 GUINNESS PRO14: Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 95; Tries: Cian Kelleher 4; Munster – Points: Joey Carbery 59; Tries: Keith Earls 5
2018/19 TEAM FORM: Connacht – Played 12, Won 7, Lost 5, 36 Points; L 27-26 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 32-13 v Zebre (home), L 17-10 v Edinburgh (away), W 33-20 v Scarlets (home), L 20-3 v Leinster (home), W 22-15 v Ulster (away), L 22-17 v Ospreys (away), W 33-12 v Dragons (home), W 31-14 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), W 21-17 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), L 33-29 v Leinster (away), W 21-12 v Munster (home); Munster – Played 12, Won 8, Lost 4, 39 Points; W 38-0 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), L 25-10 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 49-13 v Ospreys (home), L 37-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 64-7 v Ulster (home), L 30-22 v Leinster (away), W 25-24 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 30-26 v Toyota Cheetahs (away), W 32-7 v Zebre (away), W 44-14 v Edinburgh (home), L 19-12 v Ulster (away), W 26-17 v Leinster (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, November 28, 2015 – Munster 12 Connacht 18, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 16, 2016 – Connacht 35 Munster 14, the Sportsground
Saturday, December 31, 2016 – Connacht 9 Munster 16, the Sportsground
Saturday, May 6, 2017 – Munster 50 Connacht 14, Thomond Park
Friday, October 27, 2017 – Connacht 20 Munster 16, the Sportsground
Saturday, January 6, 2018 – Munster 39 Connacht 13, Thomond Park
MATCH FACTS:
– Connacht’s only defeat in their last seven matches in all competitions was 33-29 to Leinster at the RDS on December 22
– Connacht’s only two home losses this season were both in the GUINNESS PRO14, by a solitary point to Glasgow Warriors in round 1 and 20-3 to Leinster in round 5
– Munster’s only reversal in the last six rounds of the PRO14 was 19-12 to Ulster in Belfast in round 11
– The Munstermen have won just twice away from home in the Championship this season, at the Toyota Cheetahs in round 8 and at Zebre in round 9
– Munster have lost their last six away games against fellow Irish provinces
– The two provinces have met on 95 previous occasions since they first in 1934 with Munster winning 82, Connacht nine and four games drawn. In recent times Connacht have won three of their last four matches against Munster in Galway
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