Craig Clarke starts for Connacht against a heavyweight Ulster side who will look to take Connacht's pack on from the start.
CONNACHT
Starting XV: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Eoin Griffin, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Jason Harris-Wright, 3 Nathan White, 4 Michael Swift(c), 5 Craig Clarke, 6 Jake Heenan, 7 Willie Faloon, 8 John Muldoon
Replacements: 16 Sean Henry, 17 Rodney Ah You, 18 Ronan Loughney, 19 Aly Muldowney 20 George Naoupu, 21 Paul O’Donohoe, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Danie Poolman
Unavailable/Injured: Denis Buckley, Conor Finn, Eoin McKeon, Shane Layden, Tadhg Leader, Dave McSharry, Miah Nikora, James So'oialo, Kyle Tonetti, and Marcus Walsh
Starting XV: 15 Gavin Duffy, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 12 Eoin Griffin, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Jason Harris-Wright, 3 Nathan White, 4 Michael Swift(c), 5 Craig Clarke, 6 Jake Heenan, 7 Willie Faloon, 8 John Muldoon
Replacements: 16 Sean Henry, 17 Rodney Ah You, 18 Ronan Loughney, 19 Aly Muldowney 20 George Naoupu, 21 Paul O’Donohoe, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23 Danie Poolman
Unavailable/Injured: Denis Buckley, Conor Finn, Eoin McKeon, Shane Layden, Tadhg Leader, Dave McSharry, Miah Nikora, James So'oialo, Kyle Tonetti, and Marcus Walsh
Ulster
Starting XV: 15 J Payne, 14 D McIlwaine, 13 D Cave, 12 L Marshall, 11 M Allen, 10 P Jackson, 9 I Porter
1 T Court, 2 R Herring, 3 D Fitzpatrick, 4 J Muller (C), 5 I Henderson, 6 R Wilson, 7 C Henry, 8 N Williams
Replacements: 16 N Annett, 17 K McCall, 18 R Lutton, 19 L Stevenson, 20 R Diack, 21 P Marshall, 22 J McKinney, 23 C Gilroy
Starting XV: 15 J Payne, 14 D McIlwaine, 13 D Cave, 12 L Marshall, 11 M Allen, 10 P Jackson, 9 I Porter
1 T Court, 2 R Herring, 3 D Fitzpatrick, 4 J Muller (C), 5 I Henderson, 6 R Wilson, 7 C Henry, 8 N Williams
Replacements: 16 N Annett, 17 K McCall, 18 R Lutton, 19 L Stevenson, 20 R Diack, 21 P Marshall, 22 J McKinney, 23 C Gilroy
Venue: The Sportsground, Galway
Date: Saturday, 21st September 2013
Kick-off: 18:45
TV Broadcasts: TG4 / BBC Wales, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 30th competition game)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Date: Saturday, 21st September 2013
Kick-off: 18:45
TV Broadcasts: TG4 / BBC Wales, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 30th competition game)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Connacht have picked a nearly identical 23 to last week. Tiernan O'Halloran is dropped to include Fionn Carr on the wing, where his impressive form so far this season will cause concerns for the visiting Ulster team. The rest of the backline continues as it was last week, with Dan and Kieran conducting. The other change is the inclusion of Connacht's summer signing Craig Clarke in the second row at the expense of Andrew Browne. Finally there is a positional change with Muldoon shifted to number 8 as Heenan is started instead of George Naoupu, who takes a bench spot.
Ulster's side is, as usual, a heavy hitter up front, with the inclusion of big powerful ball-carrying forwards such as Williams, Wilson, Henderson and Muller. The front-row is at full strength apart from their missing skipper, Best. In the outhalfs Jackson is starting alongside Ian Porter, who has made only 10 appearances for Ulster and is starting only his second match for them, with Paul Marshall on the bench having fallen from grace with recently.
The Ulster backline is very theatening, with Payne at full-back. In the centre the first choice partnership of Marshall and Cave continues to cause teams a lot of trouble. On the wings Allen caused a few broken Ulster hearts last week, when dropped a perfect pass from Herring, which would have sent him jogging over the try-line. He will he looking to make amends this week no doubt.
Connacht will have a very hard time dealing with the strength of Ulster's ball-carriers given the makeup of the backrows. Heenan is a natural openside, as is Faloon, and Muldoon is forced into his less favoured role of Number 8, where he will have to make sure that man-mountain Nick Williams cannot build up a head of steam. Ulster have a set of forwards with a good off-loading ability and their lask of handling finesse last weekend will have focused their minds. They will look to punch holes close in, and work a tight off-loading pattern to keep their hevy forwards rolling on against a lighter Connacht pack.
Connacht on the other hand look like they will be playing a wider game, trying to get their two openside to the breakdowns to win the ball and move it out. This is a risky proposition with the interpretation of the referee perhaps putting a serious spanner in the works of that particular plan. Lacey is an experienced referee, but in interprovincial matches a more "conservative" interpretation of the breakdown usually prevails. Plan B will be to bring George on and revert Muldoon to 6, but even then will Connacht have the grunt to shunt back Ulster? It is doubtful.
Without the breakdown, Connacht may have a hard time getting their hands on the ball as, without Browne and Naoupu, the lineout options are limited. We have yet to see Clarke in action, and Heenan was not used for lineouts in his appearances so far. In the scrum we should have parity if we can get the ball out quickly, but on their own ball Ulster will look to pressure the Connacht scrum defensively. Hopefully Wilkinson's pleas for proper binding from his opposition will be heeded tomorrow.
Connacht are up against it for this one I'm afraid, but it'll be a cracker for sure!