Neither McCartney nor Aki are registered for Europe. If we register both of them that's our permitted changes for the group stages done, so it may be either or both of them are left out Saturday. Does anyone know whether Delahunt is fit? If not Heffernan is the only registered hooker and McCartney will have to be added to the squad.

Edit: Delahunt played a part in all three Buccs games in November.

Watch this space Robbie will need surgery

Oh, i've no objection to play Mils for one of the 2 games. TBH, I was just thinking about Leader who hasn't played for more than a month too.

Glad that Roux and Ah You are not sidelined for a while
Without Porter, and Cooney, it's a big big moment for Caolin Blade to impress, indeed (And by the way for Lowndes with the Eagles)

agreed on teams selected by Connachta with only minor changes for away game I'd have Mils in team just to give him gametime. and with Browne and Porter injured for the home game then muldowney and Blade come in, which means Marmion has to be included on the bench.

as you said Swift has to start in the first game and captain of course.

Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw will not make the starting line-up for the European Challenge Cup clash with French Top 14 side Bayonne at the Sportsground on Saturday (5pm).

The Ireland centre is struggling with a hip pointer injury and has been ruled out by the province, along with Ian Porter (foot sprain), Niyi Adeolokun (ankle sprain) and Tiernan O’Halloran (knee).

An aggravated knee injury sustained in the 14-6 win over Scarlets in Saturday means Andrew Browne is also “unlikely to be available”, but his secondrow partner Quinn Roux has trained this week and the 24-year-old South African is “hoping to be fighting fit ahead of the team announcement on Friday” , despite an ankle sprain.

Aly Muldowney’s return to fitness could compensate for the absence of Browne after he was forced to adhere to return-to-play concussion protocols, having missed the last two games.

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/european-...yonne-game-1.2023050

Decadence wrote: Guys, we'll be having our Christmas Party after the match on Saturday, nothing too fancy, just a few drinks at The Dail Bar. Don't forget that you get a free pint when you show yout ticket after the match! Hope to see many of ye there.

Don't connacht have a night at the Dogs after the game at 7 on Saturday?

I think now Lam must absolutely protect McCartney. without him to cover both LH and hooker, it's dire shortage in front-row
The vast majority here now regrets Lam didn't make the rotation for La Rochelle, and then did it for Exeter and Ospreys where something might have been taken with a full/rested team. I'm really 100% against reproducing the same mistake. Important games until the next break are Munster and Edinburgh home , and in a lesser extent Leinster away, Bayonne away, and if we're still in the race, Exeter home..
Another good reason to put a better team away than home : match in Jean Dauger will be on French tv, time to show worldwide we are not a shy little club anymore

We have to think about injuries as a whole. Front row begins to be weakened (JHW, Henry, White, maybe AhYou), we're short for locks if Roux gets injured/back to Leinster, Heenan still missing a lot... So we're not at complete ease forward (lineout and breakdown shows it) ; Then we will have to rely more on the backs, and I'd prefer to keep this potentialy highly efficient backline fresh, and not waste it. Some among O'Leary Finn Layden Ronaldson and Carr are well able to do the job in Challenge Cup (Except for Exeter)

so I'd like this Saturday

1) Loughney
2) Delahunt
3) Bealham (has to capitalize on the good job he's done against Scar)
4) Swift (maybe the last time he could start in the Sportsground)
5) Browne (another chance after the kick-offs nightmare)
6) Fafita (give Muldoon a deserved rest)
7) McKeon
Masterson (deserves a go, Naoupu a rest)
9) Porter
10) Ronaldson
11) Layden
12) Aki (we have to test him as 12)
13) Finn
14) Carr
15) Leader

16) Heff
17) McCartney
18) AhYou (can't see who if injured, Saba probably)
19) Kearney
20) Faloon
21) Blade
22) Nikora
23) O'Leary (polyvalent)
and next week :

1) Loughney
2) Delahunt
3) Bealham (has to capitalize again on the good job he's done against Scar)
4) Kearney
5) Muldowney
6) Muldoon
7) Faloon
McKeon
9) Porter
10) Carty
11) TOH
12) McSharry
13) Henshaw
14) Carr
15) Leader



16) Deahunt
17) Buckley
18) Loughney
19) Roux if back, if not Browne
20) Naoupu
21) Blade
22) Ronaldson
23) Layden

Guys, we'll be having our Christmas Party after the match on Saturday, nothing too fancy, just a few drinks at The Dail Bar. Don't forget that you get a free pint when you show yout ticket after the match! Hope to see many of ye there.

I would disagree with clanman too. I think Exeter if they take it seriously are the best team in the tournament. Gloucester are a good side but are in a bit of transition at the moment, wouldn't fear them. London Irish have been dire this year and are lucky London Welsh are in the top flight. I think Cardiff will win that group and could be a tricky proposition. Stade Francais have already lost at home to Dragons. I wouldn't have any fear of playing them. Honestly there isn't a standout team in the competition this year for me. We aren't favourites by a long way but I wouldn't write off our chances that easily.

Would respectfully beg to differ Clanman. London Irish are a poor outfit at the moment, and I would not fear them for one moment in our current incarnation. Gloucester too are beatable, particularly if Greig Laidlaw is not firing. Stade Francais are French and won't be fired up for this tournament, which leads me to think that the best two sides left in the tournament are in our group. And in a one-off final against Exeter, who knows what could happen?

I don't want to stop people from having high hopes but a bit of reality is needed, at best we'd be lucky/good enough to make the semi-final.
In terms of ranking out of all the teams in the Challenge Cup I see us 5th best team, you could argue 4th, So for me I would suggest Gloucester, London Irish, Stade Francais and Exeter are better than us. So based on that I would prefer to concentrate on the PRO12, if that means sacrificing the Challenge Cup so be it.

mary hinge wrote: You are not alone Borders in hoping we target winning the Challenge Cup. In over 125 years of playing the game, Connacht teams have won nothing, NOTHING, as far as I know.
We can give this tournament a right rattle, and as Rossie said on another thread, think of the buzz of thousands of Connacht fans heading to an ECC/ERC weekend.

Inter-pro Champions Twice, pre-pro Rugby.naturally but that was all there was to win then...

In the 1950/60's Galway/Connacht Rugby was probably at it's strongest, Even being the only province without a selector, there were quite a few Connacht players capped around the time and many more who were involved in Final Trials. It was around the time we won in Ravenhill in the late 50's (also the most recent time we've won there), a time when nobody won there though. Galwegians were probably the strongest club side in the country at the time, they had five players capped around the time. And UCG were a strong Senior side along with Corinthians.

But yes it would be nice to win something in the Pro Era, if we get in a position to do so...

mary hinge wrote: You are not alone Borders in hoping we target winning the Challenge Cup. In over 125 years of playing the game, Connacht teams have won nothing, NOTHING, as far as I know.
We can give this tournament a right rattle, and as Rossie said on another thread, think of the buzz of thousands of Connacht fans heading to an ECC/ERC weekend.

Will make that a late addition to my wish list for the big man in Red.

Other wish would be that there the other 3 teams in the 2 finals would be from Ireland, Wales, Scotland or France. No English team would make it a 1st class weekend.

Saw someone on Twitter last night talking to Bernard Jackman about the game this weekend.
He's expected Bayonne to send over a very depleted squad. They dont care about this tournament. Target 10 points from the next two games
We could potentially lose home and away to Exeter and end up with 20 points

You are not alone Borders in hoping we target winning the Challenge Cup. In over 125 years of playing the game, Connacht teams have won nothing, NOTHING, as far as I know.
We can give this tournament a right rattle, and as Rossie said on another thread, think of the buzz of thousands of Connacht fans heading to an ECC/ERC weekend.

Referees will be Matthew Carley (England) and Ian Davies (Wales) for the 2 Bayonne matches. Davies reffed our away match to Zebre in last years HC.