Four Changes For Connacht
The Connacht team to face Benetton Treviso at the Stadio di Monigo in Friday’s rearranged RaboDirect PRO12 round 19 fixture (kick-off 8.30pm local time/7.30pm Irish time) has been named.
This match was rescheduled from March 30 when torrential rain prevented any play due to a waterlogged pitch in Treviso.
Connacht head coach Eric Elwood has made four personnel and one positional change to the team that started against Ulster last weekend.
Eoin Griffin, who picked up a knock during the last outing, has been ruled out of action this Friday night. This season’s top try scorer, Danie Poolman, moves to outside centre with Matt Healy named on the right wing.
The Lansdowne clubman came on from the bench during the interprovincial derby defeat to league leaders Ulster in Galway.
Meanwhile, up front, Adrian Flavin makes way for Ethienne Reynecke at hooker. Andrew Browne also returns to the starting lineup at blindside flanker and is joined by fellow Galway native Eoin McKeon in the back row.
CONNACHT (v Benetton Treviso): Gavin Duffy (capt); Matt Healy, Danie Poolman, Brian Murphy, Fetu’u Vainikolo; Dan Parks, Kieran Marmion; Brett Wilkinson, Ethienne Reynecke, Ronan Loughney, Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy, Andrew Browne, Eoin McKeon, George Naoupu.
Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Rodney Ah You, JP Cooney, Michael Kearney, John Muldoon, Paul O’Donohoe, Miah Nikora, Tiernan O’Halloran.