One Change For Connacht

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made one change to his side for tomorrow’s Celtic League trip to Murrayfield to meet Edinburgh Gunners.

Connacht coach Michael Bradley

Connacht coach Michael Bradley has made one change to his side for tomorrow’s Celtic League trip to Murrayfield to meet Edinburgh Gunners.

CELTIC LEAGUE: Saturday, September 10

Edinburgh Gunners v Connacht, Murrayfield, 4.00pm (live Setanta Sports)

Tipperary man Ray Hogan, who was forced to pull out of last Saturday’s 13-9 League win over Cardiff at the last minute due to a knee injury, is fit to start and comes in at loosehead prop for Connact Under-21 coach Dan McFarland.

McFarland is benched, taking Adrian Clarke’s place, while Buccaneers scrum-half Conor O’Loughlin loses his place amongst the replacements to former Munster and Leicester Tigers pivot Tom Tierney.

While Bradley has called for greater “urgency” tomorrow, following a lacklustre attacking display against Cardiff, their defence will have to be water-tight as Edinburgh have only lost one of their previous seven matches at the home of Scottish rugby.

Even accounting for that, the six previous clashes between the sides has seen the away team triumph on five occasions. So something will have to give.

EDINBURGH: Francesco Leonelli; Chris Paterson (Capt), Marcus Di Rollo, Rob Dewey, Simon Webster; Phil Godman, Mike Blair; Dave Hewett, Dougie Hall, Craig Smith, Alastair Kellock, Scott Murray, (Back row from: Allister Hogg, Simon Taylor, Matt Mustchin, Simon Cross and Alasdair Strokosch).

Replacements: Andrew Kelly, Allan Jacobsen, Fergus Pringle, As Back row, Rory Lawson, Duncan Hodge, Hugo Southwell.

CONNACHT: David Slemen; Matt Mostyn, Darren Yapp, Keith Matthews, Conor McPhillips; Paul Warwick, Chris Keane; Ray Hogan, John Fogarty, Stephen Knoop, Christian Short, Andrew Farley (Capt), John Muldoon, Matt Lacey, Colm Rigney.

Replacements: Chris Venter, Dan McFarland, Ronan Loughney, Michael Swift, Brendan O’Connor, Tom Tierney, Daniel Riordan.

Referee: Neil Ballard (Wales)