A Saracens side packed with internationals, and who have only tasted victory this season make their way to The Sportsground to face Connacht tomorrow night.CONNACHT
Starting XV: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 James So’oialo, 11 Danie Poolman, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Sean Henry, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Michael Swift (C), 5 Craig Clarke, 6 John Muldoon, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 George Naoupu
Replacements: 16 Jason Harris-Wright, 17 Peter Reilly, 18 JP Cooney, 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Andrew Browne, 21 Paul O’Donohoe, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Tiernan O’Halloran
Unavailable/Injured: Willie Faloon, Conor Finn, Eoin Griffin, Matt Healy, Eoin McKeon, Shane Layden, Ronan Loughney, Dave McSharry, Miah Nikora, Kyle Tonetti, Marcus Walsh, and Nathan White
Starting XV: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 James So’oialo, 11 Danie Poolman, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Sean Henry, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Michael Swift (C), 5 Craig Clarke, 6 John Muldoon, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 George Naoupu
Replacements: 16 Jason Harris-Wright, 17 Peter Reilly, 18 JP Cooney, 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Andrew Browne, 21 Paul O’Donohoe, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Tiernan O’Halloran
Unavailable/Injured: Willie Faloon, Conor Finn, Eoin Griffin, Matt Healy, Eoin McKeon, Shane Layden, Ronan Loughney, Dave McSharry, Miah Nikora, Kyle Tonetti, Marcus Walsh, and Nathan White
Saracens
Starting XV: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Joel Tomkins, 12 Chris Wyles, 11 David Strettle, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Neil de Kock
1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Matt Stevens, 4 Steve Borthwick (C), 5 George Kruis, 6 Kelly Brown, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Billy Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Alastair Hargreaves, 20 Ernst Joubert, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Duncan Taylor, 23 Michael Tagicakibau
Starting XV: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Joel Tomkins, 12 Chris Wyles, 11 David Strettle, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Neil de Kock
1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Schalk Brits, 3 Matt Stevens, 4 Steve Borthwick (C), 5 George Kruis, 6 Kelly Brown, 7 Will Fraser, 8 Billy Vunipola
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Alastair Hargreaves, 20 Ernst Joubert, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Duncan Taylor, 23 Michael Tagicakibau
Venue: Stadio Monigo, Treviso, Italy
Date: Friday, 11th October 2013
Kick-off: 20:00
TV Broadcasts: Mediaset / TG4, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (FFR, 15th competition game)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Date: Friday, 11th October 2013
Kick-off: 20:00
TV Broadcasts: Mediaset / TG4, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (FFR, 15th competition game)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Connacht have made a number of changes to their starting team following a very disappointing away loss to Treviso a week ago. Fionn Carr switches to the opposite wing and Poolman moves out from outside centre to fill the vacated spot. Gavin Duffy remains at full back in what looks to be the strongest back three available to Connacht, as Healy joins Connacht's lengthy injured list.
The injury to Griffin before kickoff in Italy resulted in Brian Murphy being parachuted into centre, but after a game to forget he has been replaced with the newly available James So'oialo. Robbie Henshaw continues his extended trial at outside centre, where Connacht fans will hope to see a lot of aggression to counter his large English counterpart Tomkins, an ex-league international with England. Parks will have to deal with the ever ebullient Farrell, and so will need a good defensive game to allow So'oialo to keep his own man marked. Marmion takes the reins back from O'Donohoe at scrum-half.
In the pack the injuries are taking their toll on the front row in particular with Rodney being forced over to the tight-head side to cover for both Nathan White and Ronan Loughney being unavailable. He did well enough there last week, albeit against a weaker scrum, and hopefully he can improve on that. Henry has been providing great service at hooker and this week Connacht are boosted by the return to the bench of JHW. Wilkinson rounds out the front row, but the bench is very scarce of tried and tested props which will tell in a game like this.
Swift returns to the second row as captain this week, and is joined there by Craig Clarke whose performances have been very good in-spite of the results. In the back row Muldoon is at blindside where his attitude and heart has most effect. Heenan is at openside, and again will be looking to continue his good run of form. George is back at number 8, despite a run of bad form, and Connacht fans will be hoping that he will take a more direct approach to the line against Saracens and trust that his very good hands can work the magic once again.
The Saracens side has a back three that should be recognisable to any rugby fan, as all three have been capped by England. In the centre the very large and powerful Tomkins is joined by Chris Wyles, a US Eagle capped player, who can play inside or outside centre. Farrell is another English (and Lions) player who can turn a game on its head with some excellent kicking skills and even-better running skills. His temperament has often been the cause of issue for him though, and with the Saracens feeling that they are the better team, there is an opportunity there that Connacht should try to exploit. At scrum-half the 35 year old Wyles is an ex-Springbok from the early 2000's, but his passing and kicking game is offset well by Farrell's ability to take on the line.
In the heavy-weight Saracens pack the front three of Vunipola, Brits and Stevens is as combative as you get. Vunipola and Stevens are just back from the Lions' tour of Australia, and Brits would probably have more caps for South Africa if he had stayed where he was. In the second row Borthwick is another English capped player with a distinguished career, and Kruis is a young, powerful and tall (6'6'') player who will ensure that Saracens have plenty of options at lineout. In the back row the aggressive Kelly Brown will be the one seeking to stop George in his tracks from the blindside, and no doubt he will make a nuisance of himself in the rucks as well. Fraser is a Saracens academy player who came out of nowhere last season to being in contention to win an England cap towards the end of the season. Mako's brother Billy is at number 8 for Saracens, with 3 English caps to his name, and at 20st he will need to chopped at the ankles early.
Saracens then seems to have class right across the pitch, and are starting some top-name stars. Especially in the front-row Connacht seem to be out-classed, and our props will need to produce a top-drawer performance to gain parity in the scrum. In the second row, we have two very experienced operators, who no doubt will not let us down, but can they keep up with young Kruis? The backrow battle seems like it will be down to how each number 8 performs.
In the back line, our centre partnership is untested, and though Robbie has huge potential he has only really started to bed-down into that position. The Saracens outside three are razor-sharp, and our boys will need to dig deep to prevent them running amok. Our scrum half is young and theirs is old. Our out-half is old and theirs is young. Marmion is being allowed to play his favoured running game but often gets himself out of support, so he will need to be careful about that. Parks is being forced into a position of taking on the line and heads-up rugby that is not his forte, but can his quality still shine through?
Looking at their contrasting starts to the season Connacht seem to have little chance of suddenly discovering top-form and getting one over on the as-yet unbeaten Saracens. However we do face quality like this in the Rabo with teams like Ospreys and Leinster, and our heads are not bowed by them. Connacht need to have their heads in the right place tomorrow to prevent a drubbing. However I want to finish with a quote from Muldoon:
"Everyone looking in will think that Saracens are going to beat us easily. Statistics will tell you we have no chance but this is Connacht rugby on a Friday night and God knows what will happen.
"The last time the Premiership leaders came to the Sportsground we had lost 14 in a row. Harlequins were playing for a Heineken Cup quarter-final and we had only pride to play for. We beat them."