From the Connacht site;
Connacht team to face Benetton Treviso
Four changes up front as Connacht travel to Italy
Eric Elwood has announced his team to face Benetton Treviso in Round 19 of the RaboDirect PRO12 league.
Connacht Rugby travel to Stadio Monigo in northern Italy for tomorrow’s game (kick-off 8pm local time) and there are four personnel and two positional changes to the team that were defeated by Munster last weekend. All these changes are made to the pack.
Jason Harris-Wright suffered a calf muscle strain during last weekend’s interprovincial clash at Musgrave Park and is out of action this week as a result. Adrian Flavin is named at Hooker for tomorrow’s fixture, earning his 140th cap for Connacht.
Ronan Loughney comes into the front row in place of Nathan White who moves to the bench.
The second row is made up of Mick Kearney and Ireland international Mike McCarthy, who returns to the starting XV this weekend.
There’s a reshuffle in the back row with John Muldoon returning to his more familiar Blindside Flanker position. Willie Faloon, who picked up a slight ankle injury this week in training, is replaced by Galway-born Eoin McKeon at number 7. George Naoupu starts at Number 8.
On the bench, Dave Heffernan is named amongst the forwards’ replacements. The 22-year-old, Ballina-man who recently signed a development contract that sees him progress to the senior squad next season, earned his first senior cap against Scarlets this time last year.
Connacht XV
15. Robbie Henshaw
14. Danie Poolman
13. Eoin Griffin
12. Brian Murphy
11. Gavin Duffy (captain)
10. Dan Parks
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Brett Wilkinson
2. Adrian Flavin
3. Ronan Loughney
4. Mick Kearney
5. Mick McCarthy
6. John Muldoon
7. Eoin McKeon
8. George Naoupu
Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Denis Buckley, Nathan White, Andrew Browne, Dave Heffernan, Paul O’Donohoe, Miah Nikora, Fetu’u Vainikolo
Unavailable due to injury: Jason Harris-Wright, Willie Faloon, Frank Murphy, Dave Nolan, Johnny O’Connor, Michael Swift, Kyle Tonetti
Benetton Treviso v Connacht
At Stadio Monigo , 8pm local time (7pm Ireland & UK)
(Live on SportItalia)
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU, 21st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Elia Rizzo, Filippo Navarra (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Achille Reali (FIR)
TMO: Mauro Dordolo (FIR)
Some thoughts;
Whats McKeon like at 7? Great player so I'm sure he will try his best to contribute, we definitely need to shore up the back row over the summer though.
Bench is reasonably strong, is it possible we'll see Heffernan throwing the lineout?
Treviso are a strong test but we can't allow what happened last week to happen again. Conn have named a strong team, plenty of heft in the pack and plenty of talent in the backs. Make those passes stick and get the ball out to Poolman. Connacht's away record is nothing short of terrible tbh so we really need everyone's head screwed on properly, get the basics right and lets see some aggression.
