Jack starts.

Team to face Ospreys

Saturday January 7th, kick off 13:30, Liberty Stadium

(Connacht caps in brackets)

15 Tiernan O’Halloran (115)
14 Niyi Adeolokun (46)
13 Rory Parata (23)
12 Peter Robb (23)
11 Matt Healy (81)
10 Jack Carty (69)
9 John Cooney (28)

1 Denis Buckley (105)
2 Tom McCartney (53) (captain)
3 Finlay Bealham (69)
4 Quinn Roux (44)
5 James Cannon (6)
6 Sean O’Brien (28)
7 Jake Heenan (45)
8 Naulia Dawai (3)

Replacements:

16 Dave Heffernan (72)
17 JP Cooney (41)
18 John Andress (1)
19 Lewis Stevenson (9)
20 Eoin McKeon (99)
21 Caolin Blade (35)
22 Danie Poolman (76)
23 Ciaran Gaffney (1)

Injured / Unavailable: Ronan Loughney, Conor Carey, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Ivan Soroka, Conan O’Donnell, Ultan Dillane, Ben Marshall, Andrew Browne, Nepia Fox-Matamua, John Muldoon, Eoghan Masterson, Marnitz Boshoff, Shane O’Leary, Craig Ronaldson, Stacey Ili, Bundee Aki, Eoin Griffin, Cormac Brennan, Cian Kelleher, Josh Rowland, Darragh Leader.

this is a nuisance game, I don't want us to perform badly but also don't want to see any more injuries so it comes down to which players we can afford to send over and which ones need protecting.

Most seasons I would be saying the league should be Connacht's main focus, but yeah, this year is different with the number of injuries and our current position in the table. The best we can hope for is to get through the Osprey's game with no injuries while using the fewest key players as possible and focus on the last two rounds of the Champions Cup.

Really I just want this game out of the way. Ospreys are serious about the league this year and are always strong at home. They are cruising along in the Challenge Cup so their main objective at the moment is to keep in position for Top 2. Really I don't see the point chasing an unlikely win here. I hate writing off games but in this scenario I think we need to be realistic. Zebre at home we need 5 points so want as good a team as we can put out there before hopefully being in a position to do enough in Toulouse.

Evil_g wrote: As far as I can tell, the last official update on our academy locks was last August when we were told: "Cian Romaine, Peter Claffey and Cillian Gallagher are all unavailable to the senior coaching team due to respective injuries"

Last update on Josh Rowland was after the Ulster game when he was "progressing well with his ankle rehabilitation and is due for a return to play in the coming weeks"

Masterson in the same update was "due to be available in the coming weeks". Ronaldson was "progressing well in his thigh rehabilitation and is due to be available in mid-January"

Not sure what the latest on Conan O'Donnell is.

Hope we see some of the above this weekend. It would be great in particular for Ronaldson to have a few games before Toulouse.

O'Donnell is in a moon boot so will probably be out for a while yet

As far as I can tell, the last official update on our academy locks was last August when we were told: "Cian Romaine, Peter Claffey and Cillian Gallagher are all unavailable to the senior coaching team due to respective injuries"

Last update on Josh Rowland was after the Ulster game when he was "progressing well with his ankle rehabilitation and is due for a return to play in the coming weeks"

Masterson in the same update was "due to be available in the coming weeks". Ronaldson was "progressing well in his thigh rehabilitation and is due to be available in mid-January"

Not sure what the latest on Conan O'Donnell is.

Hope we see some of the above this weekend. It would be great in particular for Ronaldson to have a few games before Toulouse.

Dennis doesn't need a break he had enough time off with his injury and possibly Tom too. Finlay does need a break.
Masterson should be ready to rock now.
Maybe one of the 2 under 20 locks could bench if they are fit.
Connolly is a good player and I don't understand why he doesn't get more gametime.
Does anybody know what the story with Josh Rowland? He hasn't been fit since he signed has he ?

As I said on the Connacht Munster thread we need to pull back and reassess. I see no way we will win away to Ospreys and the stats shown above backs that up. So give as many of these bodies a break as possible and experiment with new players. Lets see how Caolin does at 10. Lets rest Tiernan. Even moreso lets rest Niyi. He is just running into brick walls these days and he simply has to learn how to maintain possession and recycle. Maybe, from last year, he is not used to taking ball into contact. His recycling has been a penalty machine this year, so he has something to work on. So let's use Gaffney and Brennan instead. They are both fine players. Matt hopefully will be fine after having a bit of time to come back from injury.

I have no issue using Rory Parata in the centre. The more he plays the better he gets. And he hasn't had many opportunities. If Craig is fit then give him a run beside Rory. If not then try Dawai beside Rory. Now that would be an interesting combo. Either Peter Robb or Craig can be backup.

Also I expect Marmion must be rested under player welfare rules so Kerins starts with Blade outside him.

James Connolly hasn't been involved in an age, yet when he was involved he was impressive. So give him a shot. Jake probably will hang in there and should be ok. Is Eoin McKeon injured. If not then that's a grand back row. Then how about James Cannon with SOB2. And in the front row, Denis really needs a rest, Tom also and also Finlay. So we go with JP Cooney Delahunt, Andress.

And on the bench lowdnes to cover scrum half, conor McKeon outhalf, Louis Stevenson to cover back-row, Qualter lock, Dinneen, Heffernan, Meunargia front row.
Robb or Ronaldson to cover backs.

And this is not a bad team. So Pat, there you have it. That's Dobbys selection. And you get to rest your players while finding out a bit about emerging talent in the process.

Edit: And I would say there is no reason that team could not surprise you and win at ospreys. I just see the mental hardship on, what folks would call, the primary 15. They just need out time. With two crucial ties coming up they do not need another 'test' of their doggedness. Give them a break Pat.

OSPREYS RUGBY v CONNACHT RUGBY

Did you know?

Ospreys Rugby have lost just one of their last seven Guinness PRO12 fixtures: 0-33 at Munster in round 8.
The Welshmen are the best home side in the PRO12 this season having dropped only one possible league point in their six encounters at Liberty Stadium so far.
Connacht have lost their last two Guinness PRO12 matches to fellow Irish provinces, Ulster and Munster, over the festive period.
Connacht’s only victory in their last five visits to Wales was 26-21 against Newport Gwent Dragons in February 2016.
Ospreys only two previous defeats to Connacht since the 2012/13 season both came last season when Connacht became champions. Prior to this the Irishmen’s previous victory on Ospreys soil came at The Gnoll in November 2004.
Played 27, Ospreys won 19, Connacht won 8.

Overall Guinness PRO12 head to head record:

Ospreys v Connacht
At Liberty Stadium
Kick off 1.30pm
Live on Sky Sports

Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 59th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Gary Conway (IRFU), Dewi Phillips (WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Neil Paterson (SRU)


www.connachtrugby.ie/pro12-preview-ospre...nnacht/#ConnachtNews