20/09/2002. Giant Killers Connacht and last year’s beaten finalists Munster lay their unbeaten records on the line this evening in round 4 of the Celtic League
Giant Killers Connacht and last year’s beaten finalists Munster lay their unbeaten records on the line this evening in round 4 of the Celtic League. Connacht are at home to Newport (5.45) and Munster host Swansea (7.35) in front of the TV cameras (TG4).
Munster, with ten changes, two positional, from the side that beat Edinburgh take on a Swansea side that hammered Ulster last time out.
Following on from their marvellous victory over title holders Leinster, Connacht take on a Newport side hungry for their first win of the campaign.
Last season’s quarter-finalists Newport have been knocked back in their bid of reaching the knock-out phase of this year’s tournament after slumping to their third successive defeat. New coaches Leigh Jones and Richard Hill are well aware that their task will get no easier with this trip to Galway to face undefeated Connacht.
“We are improving with every game, and creating more chances, so we’ll approach this game with Connacht in a very positive frame of mind,” said Jones. “But it’s another big challenge for us against another unbeaten side. It is all down to the professionalism of the players and coaches to get us out of this position.”
“Not everything has gone swimmingly for these players in their careers, so they will have pulled themselves out of situations like this before.”
Munster:J Staunton, M Lawlor, M Mullins, J Holland, D Crotty, K Keane, M Prendergast, S Kerr, F Sheahan, R Laffan, M Galwey, M O’Driscoll, E Halvey, D Leamy, J Williams (capt).
Replacements: W O’Kelly, J Blaney, T Hogan, C McMahon, D Malone, C Mahony, J O’Neill.
Referee; Rob Dickson (Sco).
Connacht:James Norton; Ted Robinson, Darren Yapp, Tim Allnutt (capt.), Wayne Munn; Eric Elwood, Chris Keane; Dan McFarland, Jerry Flannery, Peter Bracken; Warwick Waugh, Rowan Frost; Michael Swift, John O’Sullivan, Colm Rigney.
Replacements: Ronan McCormack, Marnus Uijs, Eric Peters, Johnny O’Connor, Eoin Reddan, Shane Moore, Martin McPhail.
Referee: Roy Maybank (Eng).
Ulster: Bryn Cunningham; James Topping, Ryan Constable, Jonathon Bell (capt), Tyrone Howe; Adam Larkin, Neil Doak; Justin Fitzpatrick, Matt Sexton, Robbie Kempson; Mark Blair, Jeremy Davidson; Warren Brosnihan, Neil McMillan, Tony McWhirter.
Replacements: Simon Best, Paul Shields, Paddy Johns, Neil Best, Kieran Campbell, Shane Stewart, Scott Young.
Referee: Andy Ireland (Sco).
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