pinky wrote: I think Blessano was the guy in charge in Cardiff two seasons ago when we were on the end of a horrendous penalty count.

That was him. Got removed from the Pro 12 ref register for a while, though bizarrely I think he ended up reffing lower league French games during that time!

Edit: He's not on the refs register this season.

Cannot believe Ah You has been selected, I would have brought up one of the academy lads before playing him again. If the Clan have any more goodies to give away here's your competition: What minute will Rodney be pulled ashore? If his time at Connacht has meant anything to him he should be looking to redeem himself in a big way tomorrow. I'll admit the first couple of season I was scratching my head that they were persisting with him but eventually he came good and proved he had something to contribute to the team. However since it was announced he was heading North he's been in embarrassing form. Hope that changes.

Good to see some of the injured returning getting some game time while giving others a rest. This is important with the possibility of 3 more games to go.

I think Blessano was the guy in charge in Cardiff two seasons ago when we were on the end of a horrendous penalty count.

menacethedenis wrote: Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 70th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Claudio Blessano, Stefano Bolzonella (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR)
TMO: Alan Falzone (FIR)
Read more at www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/19618.php#2Xohtj7KY8ElXepA.99


I'd be confident of a bonus point win. Treviso are awful, they've been hammered in their last three games and shipped 38 to Glasgow in their last home game.

Fitzgibbon is alright, big improvement on how he used to be a few years ago. Think he must have gone back to Refereeing University! I'd be more worried about the Italians running the side line, the locals in the corresponding fixture last season made a few dodgy hometown calls.

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 70th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Claudio Blessano, Stefano Bolzonella (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Alberto Recaldini (FIR)
TMO: Alan Falzone (FIR)
Read more at www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/19618.php#2Xohtj7KY8ElXepA.99


I'd be confident of a bonus point win. Treviso are awful, they've been hammered in their last three games and shipped 38 to Glasgow in their last home game.

That is a hell of a bench. Great to see Tiernan, AJ and Jack on the team sheet again.

I can see this being close enough until the 50-60 min mark, but if we get 10-12 point ahead their heads will drop and we can pull away.

I hope the fact that Bundee isn't down on the injured list means he's just getting a rest - earlier reports to the contrary.

I like the way they list the injured players in their positions.

All change for Treviso:

www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-team-to-fa...viso-3/#ConnachtNews

Connacht team to face Benetton Treviso, Friday 29th April, Stadio Monigo, 19:30 (local time)

15 Tiernan O’Halloran
14 Niyi Adeolokun
13 Rory Parata
12 Peter Robb
11 Fionn Carr
10 Jack Carty
9 John Cooney

1 Ronan Loughney
2 Tom McCartney (captain)
3 Rodney Ah You
4 Quinn Roux
5 Andrew Browne
6 Sean O’Brien
7 Jake Heenan
8 Eoin McKeon

Replacements:

16 Dave Heffernan
17 JP Cooney
18 Finlay Bealham
19 Aly Muldowney
20 John Muldoon
21 Coalin Blade
22 AJ MacGinty
23 Robbie Henshaw

Injured/Unavailable: Denis Buckley, Nathan White, Ben Marshall, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoghan Masterson, Craig Ronaldson, Dave McSharry, Danie Poolman, Matt Healy*, Darragh Leader, Ciaran Gaffney.

*Matt Healy suffered a minor back injury last week to rule him out of selection for the Treviso game.

SOB at 6, Jake at 7. Mul rested.

I am not bothered either way as long as Ah You is nowhere to be seen. I would prefer Blade to prop.

I think it's a great game and an exciting part of the season for someone new to be involved. I don't think any of the academy props would let anyone down.

Look how well all the young guys have done? This country has a rugby phobia about young players.

I appreciate Glasgow is a different prop-osition!!

Had a flash this morning, remembered McCartney "can play at both hooker and prop and previously played under Connacht coach Pat Lam at Auckland."

Audacious but why not

issues :
Hadn't played there for Connacht apart from 10 minutes against Zebre in his first game in Green
Useless if White is back for Glasgow (Bealham switch to LH)
Would sacrifice his talent by putting him on the bench.

Advantages
Gives JHW his chance, looked good against Munster and is a turnover machine as Buckley would have been
McCartney can come in for Loughney at the same time as Heffernan for JHW, meaning the latter can focus on open play with Tom throwing for lineouts
Would rest him for the first time since January by putting him on the bench.
He his 112 kg, best weight for a LH
Bealham can be kept as TH, Cooney is backup, and no Ah You/O'Donnell needed in the 23

We can get by treviso without Buckley and Aki, and possibly Glasgow if they cannot secure a home semi at that point, and/or Robb plays out of his skin, but those are probably our two top performers along this season along with Muldowney.

That's plain daft.
I know the Munster game has a lot more on the line, but surely you would always show the complete first match and then the second half of the second.

For those of us on Sky platform, first half only being shown. Nice of those folks in TG4 to make sure we don't lose the chip on our shoulder.

Friday, 29.04.16 @ 6.25pm

6.25pm – Treviso v Connacht (1st half)
Full Match on TG4 Player Live C2 / UPC 602 / Saorview Red Button

7.15pm – Munster v Edinburgh (full match)

Note that this game kicks off at 6.30 Irish time, not 7.30