After some lacklustre showings in the GUINNESS PRO14, the resumption of Connacht’s Challenge Cup campaign could come at an opportune time as Kieran Keane’s men look to storm Stade Amédée-Domenech and stay top of the pile in Pool 5.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 5: Saturday, December 9
BRIVE (3rd) v CONNACHT (1st), Stade Amédée-Domenech, 9pm local time/8pm Irish time (live FR4/Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Sligo native and Connacht Academy player Cillian Gallagher is set to make his first start for Connacht in their Challenge Cup clash away to Brive tonight.
Gallagher, who made his debut off the bench during October’s Challenge Cup win over Worcester Warriors, starts at blindside flanker in a back row that includes Eoghan Masterson at openside and captain John Muldoon at number 8.
The Connacht starting XV sees a new centre pairing in recent debutant Pita Ahki and newly-capped Ireland international Bundee Aki, who returns to the side after his involvement in Ireland’s GUINNESS Series victories over South Africa and Argentina. Jack Carty also comes back in at number 10.
Shane Delahunt is retained at hooker where he is flanked by loosehead Denis Buckley and Finlay Bealham at tighthead in an unchanged front row. Quinn Roux returns to the second row alongside Ultan Dillane, while Gallagher is the fourth personnel change to the side that went down 24-10 to Zebre last week.
Connacht have got off to a good start so far in the Challenge Cup and are top of Pool 5 with nine points after two rounds. The back-to-back fixtures against their French opponents are likely to have a huge bearing on who qualifies for the knockout stages.
Speaking ahead of the round 3 game, Connacht forwards coach Jimmy Duffy said: “We are expecting a huge physical battle against Brive on Saturday. They will have a big strong pack and will look to maul at every opportunity. We’ll need to match that physicality and we have been really focusing on that in training during the week.”
Meanwhile, Brive head coach Nicolas Godignon has made a dozen personnel changes to the team that edged out Oyonnax 33-30 in the Top 14 last weekend. South African number 8 Petrus Hauman returns to captain the side.
Key full-back and place-kicker Gaetan Germain, who kicked 18 points in the Oyonnax game, is retained along with Fijian centre Sevanaia Galala and former Munster prop Julien Brugnaut. Connacht will have to limit Germain’s influence as he was the French Championship’s top points scorer in both 2015/16 and 2016/17.
20-year-old talent Nadir Megdoud makes his second European start on the wing, while Thomas Laranjeira, who landed seven penalties in Brive’s 2016 win at home to Connacht, and Florian Cazenave resume as the starting half-backs.
Demba Bamba, the promising 19-year-old tighthead, features in the front row, with Samoan international prop James Johnston listed on a bench which also includes France-capped youngster Fabien Sanconnie. There is an all-South African second row pairing in Johan Snyman and Jan Uys, and former Queensland Red Poutasi Luafutu and Fiji’s Dominiko Waqaniborutu complete the back row with Hauman.
BRIVE: Gaetan Germain; Nadir Megdoud, Sevanaia Galala, Benjamin Petre, Guillaume Namy; Thomas Laranjeira, Florian Cazenave; Julien Brugnaut, Mike Tadjer, Demba Bamba, Johan Snyman, Jan Uys, Poutasi Luafutu, Dominiko Waqaniborutu, Petrus Hauman (capt).
Replacements: Louis Martin, Simon-Pierre Chauvac, James Johnston, Peet Marais, Fabien Sanconnie, David Delarue, Alfifeleti Mafi, Matthieu Ugalde.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Cian Kelleher, Pita Ahki, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux, Cillian Gallagher, Eoghan Masterson, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Tom McCartney, Peter McCabe, Conor Carey, James Cannon, James Connolly, James Mitchell, Tom Farrell, Darragh Leader.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley, Wayne Falla (both England)
Television Match Official: David Sainsbury (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Brive to win: Evens; Draw: 19/1; Connacht to win: 5/6
Pre-Match Quotes: Jimmy Duffy (Connacht) – “We have got Europe this weekend which we are massively looking forward to. It gave us a bit of a spark the last time (in October). We are well up for it. It’s going to be a big, big challenge for us but we are really looking forward to that.
“We have looked at the footage of Brive extensively. We have looked at nine or 10 games. I am not sure their position in the table (12th) reflects their abilities as a rugby team. They are well coached and they have got some quality players across the board. They have got a very, very strong set piece. A big mauling team and they are strong in the back-line as well.
“We are preparing for a top quality side and hopefully we can do the business. The volume of mauls in the games (against Brive in the 2015/16 season) was a huge thing. There was a lot of hand-to-hand combat down there that night. You couldn’t let your guard down for any one second, it was pretty tough.”
Tiernan O’Halloran (Connacht) – “Brive is a place we’ve been two years ago, and we ended up with a frustrating 21-18 loss. We outscored them three-nil on tries, but we still lost the game, when Thomas Laranjeira kicked the lights out.
“It’s not as if we’re facing into the unknown, and despite there being a few changes, they will be really physical, with a big maul and huge ball carriers. This will be all about getting the minds focused for a physical test and if we can match them on that front we’ll be right in there.
“Despite last weekend I think we are all looking forward to getting back on the pitch, and we know this will be a real test against an in-form team. It is always hard to know what French teams will bring to the Challenge Cup.
We saw Oyonnax made huge changes against us and we took a good win from there.
“But Brive will be a lot stronger, I think. They are in a decent position in the pool and will see this as a real deciding game for them. If we were to go and win this weekend, I think it would make things a lot easier for the return. But, on the other hand, a win will be huge encouragement for them.
“We know how good we can be at home, so if we can come away from Brive with a win we know it will be a big result in the ultimate standings.”
Current Form – Brive – (Top 14 Championship): Lost 19-10 v La Rochelle (home), Lost 29-14 v Lyon (away), Lost 25-6 v Racing 92 (home), Lost 62-6 v Clermont Auvergne (away), Lost 22-19 v Toulouse (home), Lost 54-10 v Montpellier (away), Won 27-22 v Castres Olympique (home); (Challenge Cup): Lost 30-20 v Worcester Warriors (away), Won 38-13 v Oyonnax (home); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 41-24 v Toulon (away), Won 20-19 v Stade Francais (home), Lost 34-15 v Pau (away), Drew 27-27 v Bordeaux-Begles (away), Won 33-30 v Oyonnax (home)
Connacht – (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 18-12 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Won 32-10 v Southern Kings (home), Lost 21-8 v Dragons (away), Lost 17-15 v Cardiff Blues (home), Lost 36-27 v Scarlets (away), Lost 16-8 v Ulster (away); (Challenge Cup): Won 43-15 v Oyonnax (away), Won 15-8 v Worcester Warriors (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 20-16 v Munster (home), Won 23-15 v Toyota Cheetahs (home), Lost 36-30 v Cardiff Blues (away), Lost 24-10 v Zebre (away)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Challenge Cup: Brive – Points: Gaetan Germain 11; Tries: Guillaume Namy, Damien Jourdain 2 each; Connacht – Points: Andrew Deegan 18; Tries: Matt Healy 3
Previous European Meetings: 4
Saturday, January 16, 2016 – Pool 1 – Brive 21 Connacht 18, Stade Amédée-Domenech
Saturday, November 21, 2015 – Pool 1 – Connacht 21 Brive 17, the Sportsground
Friday, January 18, 2008 – Pool 3 – Connacht 15 Brive 22, the Sportsground
Friday, November 9, 2007 – Pool 3 – Brive 15 Connacht 6, Stade Amédée-Domenech
Match Facts –
– Connacht are aiming to win their opening three European matches for the second season in a row, having won six of their last seven pool games away to Top 14 opposition
– The sides have met four times previously with each match being decided by single figure margins, Brive winning three times and Connacht once
– Brive have won their last seven home fixtures in Europe and one more victory would represent their best run since winning nine in a row from December 2003 to December 2005
– Connacht have stolen six lineouts so far in the Challenge Cup this season, no team has won more after two rounds (level with Pau)
– However, it is Brive’s Jan Uys who has stolen the most lineouts of any individual player, winning the ball three times on the opposition throw
Challenge Cup Records:
Brive –
2016/17: Reached the quarter-finals
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2011/12: Reached the semi-finals
2010/11: Reached the quarter-finals
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Reached the quarter-finals
2006/07: Reached the quarter-finals
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Reached the quarter-finals
2000/01: Reached the quarter-finals
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 7
1998/99: Reached the semi-finals
Connacht –
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Reached the semi-finals
2002/03: Reached the quarter-finals
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
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