Revenge. Anger. Illness. Hope. A storm is brewing in Galway.
CONNACHT
Starting XV: 15 Robbie Henshaw, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Eoin Griffin, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Jason Harris-Wright, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Mick Kearney, 5 Craig Clarke (c), 6 John Muldoon, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 Eoin McKeon
Replacements: 16 Sean Henry, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Nathan White, 19 Andrew Browne 20 George Naoupu, 21 Frank Murphy, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23. Gavin Duffy
Unavailable/Injured: Michael Swift, Ronan Loughney, Willie Faloon, Mata Fifita, Danie Poolman, Tiernan O’Halloran, Miah Nikora, and Kyle Tonetti.
Starting XV: 15 Robbie Henshaw, 14 Fionn Carr, 13 Eoin Griffin, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Matt Healy, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion
1 Brett Wilkinson, 2 Jason Harris-Wright, 3 Rodney Ah You, 4 Mick Kearney, 5 Craig Clarke (c), 6 John Muldoon, 7 Jake Heenan, 8 Eoin McKeon
Replacements: 16 Sean Henry, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Nathan White, 19 Andrew Browne 20 George Naoupu, 21 Frank Murphy, 22 Craig Ronaldson, 23. Gavin Duffy
Unavailable/Injured: Michael Swift, Ronan Loughney, Willie Faloon, Mata Fifita, Danie Poolman, Tiernan O’Halloran, Miah Nikora, and Kyle Tonetti.
Toulouse
Starting XV: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yann David, 11 Maxime Médard, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain
1 Schalk Ferreira, 2 Christopher Tolofua, 3 Census Johnston, 4 Romain Millo-Chluski, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 7 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 8 Louis Picamoles
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Yohan Montes, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Gillian Galan, 21 Gael Fickou, 22 Hosea Gear, 23 Sébastien Bézy
Starting XV: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yann David, 11 Maxime Médard, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain
1 Schalk Ferreira, 2 Christopher Tolofua, 3 Census Johnston, 4 Romain Millo-Chluski, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 7 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 8 Louis Picamoles
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Gurthro Steenkamp, 18 Yohan Montes, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Gillian Galan, 21 Gael Fickou, 22 Hosea Gear, 23 Sébastien Bézy
Venue: Sportsground
Date: Sunday, 14th December 2013
Kick-off: 18:00
TV Broadcasts: Sky Sports 2 - Red Button, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Date: Sunday, 14th December 2013
Kick-off: 18:00
TV Broadcasts: Sky Sports 2 - Red Button, Rabo Matchday Live
Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)
MATCH DISCUSSION THREAD ON THE FORUM
Connacht named their team at noon today, and a collective sigh of relief went around the province as the flu epidemic seems not to have completely decimated the Connacht ranks. There are no wholesale changes in the announced side when compared with the lineup which worked so successfully last week. The backline is wholly untouched, and in the pack the changes are limited to the front row and the back row. In the front Jason Harris-Wright and Rodney Ah'You swap bench duties with Sean Henry and Nathan White. In the back row Eoin McKeon's high tackle rate is preferred to Naoupu's metres (given that a lot of them came from a single large carry).
With the incredible shift all of the forwards put in last week then it can only be assumed that the guys were affected more from the flu than their replacements, or that Lam wants to rest some of his hard-working forwards. Alternatively, Ah'You and JHW came on later in the game and would have come up against Ferreira and Tolofua in the scrum already, so perhaps that figured in the reasoning. The only new face in the matchday squad is that of Andrew Browne who replaced Michael Swift, whose decision to use his face to do some tackling did not work out very well.
Toulouse, as could be expected, have made some pretty extensive changes, with only 8 of last weeks starting XV retaining their places. As a legendary club can do, they have replaced quality with quality. Médard, who went in for a try in January 2012 against Connacht, returns after being rested, to complete a back-three whose kicking skill is top-class and whose running skills are sublime. He replaces Hosea Gear, whose powerful running was contained by Carr last week. The extremely strong and powerful centre pairing of David and Fritz remains intact, but the half-backs are changed to see Beauxis and Doussain step in to try and direct Toulouse a little better this time around.
In the pack the changes introduce Yannick Nyanga (another who has scored a try against Connacht) in place of Camara in the backrow. Camara is a big, young and skillful player, but Nyanga has 25 caps for France and his nous in the breakdown will be evident tomorrow. Romain Millo-Chluski is preferred over Edwin Maka, anoter case of a French international being re-introduced in place of a youngster.
All in all, the team Toulouse have named suggests that Toulouse may be much more willing to kick for territory and commit numbers to ruck. They will look to force Connacht to play right at the edge of the breakdown laws to compete and use any resulting penalties for territory or goal-kicks. If they do get a purchase in Connacht's half, then do not expect them to turn down shots at goal as they did last week. Beauxis will be kicking anything within his considerable range.
Though they will play more strategically Toulouse still have plenty of firepower in their running game. Just look at that back three! Couple their sharp lines with the strength of their centres and their off-loading, powerful and immensely experienced back-row and it is clear to see that Toulouse are fully loaded. Picamoles and Dusautoir will be hurting from last week when they, giants of the international game, were outplayed by the sharpness and the mobility of Muldoon, Heenan and McKeon and they will be determined that it will not happen again.
So can this Connacht team dig deeper and try harder than ever to deliver a dream for us fans? Can Craig Clarke keep his team from cracking in the face of a team that would demolish many an international side? A storm is brewing over Galway, and when it breaks we will have the answers for those questions.
