Connacht are back at the Sportsground for the first time since their stirring Christmas derby win over Ulster, as they look to give themselves the best possible shot at a home quarter-final in the Challenge Cup.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 5: Saturday, January 20
CONNACHT (1st) v OYONNAX (4th), the Sportsground, 2.30pm (live Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Matt Healy will make his 100th appearance for Connacht in their final Challenge Cup Pool 5 game against Oyonnax at the Sportsground. He has scored eight tries already this season and become Connacht’s record try scorer in Europe.
Ultan Dillane, Kieran Marmion, Quinn Roux and Bundee Aki, who were all named in Ireland’s opening Six Nations squad during the week, are all included in the province’s starting XV.
Healy’s return on the left wing is the only change to the back-three, with Niyi Adeolokun on the opposite wing and Tiernan O’Halloran at full-back. The latter two both touched down in Connacht’s 24-all draw away to Worcester Warriors last Saturday.
Up front, the only change to last week’s side is the inclusion of Fijian flanker Naulia Dawai. He in joined in the back row by blindside Eoghan Masterson and captain John Muldoon at number 8.
Having secured a quarter-final spot with that battling draw with Worcester at Sixways, a win over Oyonnax will ensure that last-eight fixture will be played in front of a packed Sportsground in the spring.
Meanwhile, as expected, Oyonnax will field a much-changed side for the pool finale in Galway as they are well out of contention on the bottom rung. They are also bottom of the Top 14 table with only one win to date.
There are 10 personnel changes to the starting XV from last weekend’s 29-19 home defeat to Brive, with Tim Giresse and Anthony Fuertes the only surviving backs, and Simon Christian Njewel, Australian flanker Curtis Browning and Thibault Tauleigne retained up front.
With Julien Audy, who kicked 12 points against Brive, dropping down to the bench, former South Africa Under-20 international James Hall joins Fuertes at half-back, and the captaincy reins are handed to 24-year-old openside Bilel Taieb.
There are seven starters included from Oyonnax’s 43-15 loss to Connacht at the start of the tournament. Taieb and second rows Geoffrey Fabbri and Simon Christian Njewel all lined out that night, along with Giresse, Axel Muller and centres Ulupano Seuteni and Roimata Hansell-Pune.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Eoin Griffin, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; Craig Ronaldson, Kieran Marmion; Peter McCabe, Dave Heffernan, Conor Carey, Ultan Dillane, Quinn Roux, Eoghan Masterson, Naulia Dawai, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Denis Coulson, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Gavin Thornbury, James Connolly, Caolin Blade, Tom Farrell, Cian Kelleher.
OYONNAX: Axel Muller; Daniel Ikpefan, Ulupano Seuteni, Roimata Hansell-Pune, Tim Giresse; Anthony Fuertes, James Hall; Khatchik Vartanov, Quentin MacDonald, Thomas Laclayat, Geoffrey Fabbri, Simon Christian Njewel, Curtis Browning, Bilel Taieb (capt), Thibault Tauleigne.
Replacements: Benjamin Geledan, Tommy Raynaud, Irakli Mirtskhulava, Shay Kerry, Julien Audy, Maxime Veau, Jose Lima, Luc Barba.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson, Phil Watters (both England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 1/200; Draw: 100/1; Oyonnax to win: 60/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Nigel Carolan (Connacht) – “We know Oyonnax are a physical outfit, they have serious players, and whatever side they send over, whether frontline or second, they are still registered players, and we have to deal with everything they throw at us.
“We have a good record at home and we are looking forward to playing in front of a noisy crowd and our guys get a real kick from it – the last game was Ulster and that ended positively, and before that Brive, which was a polished performance, and we expect that again on Saturday. Certainly we are going to go at it from the start.
“We want to finish this block of games on a real strong note so that we can prove to ourselves there is a level of consistency in the group. After the minor adversity last week (in Worcester) when we had a poor start, and down to 13 players, it showed there is a real team character and fight in these players .
“They want to finish this block on a high and, while the result may not affect the quarter-final standings too much, it is important. But for ourselves we want to prove we have that level of consistency.
“Our international players have been managed and so this week we have a full deck available. It is important we do not disrespect this game and put out a young side which could get involved in a tussle. We are here to do some business and go about it in a professional way.”
Current Form – 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); (Challenge Cup): Won 38-31 v Brive (away), Won 55-10 v Brive (home); (GUINNESS PRO14): Won 44-16 v Ulster (home), Lost 21-18 v Leinster (away), Lost 39-13 v Munster (away); (Challenge Cup): Drew 24-24 v Worcester Warriors (away)
Oyonnax – (Top 14 Championship): Drew 23-23 v Toulouse (home), Lost 37-6 v Montpellier (away), Won 12-10 v Agen (home), Lost 25-13 v Racing 92 (away), Lost 57-12 v La Rochelle (away), Lost 39-9 v Bordeaux-Begles (home), Lost 19-16 v Pau (home); (Challenge Cup): Lost 43-15 v Connacht (home), Lost 38-13 v Brive (away); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 52-18 v Lyon (away), Lost 32-19 v Castres Olympique (home), Lost 39-35 v Stade Francais (away), Drew 32-32 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Lost 33-30 v Brive (away); (Challenge Cup): Lost 35-14 v Worcester Warriors (away), Won 27-20 v Worcester Warriors (home); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 49-25 v Toulon (away), Lost 16-12 v Racing 92 (home), Drew 38-38 v La Rochelle (home); (Challenge Cup): Lost 29-19 v Brive (home)
Top Scorers – 2017/18 European Challenge Cup: Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 53; Tries: Matt Healy 7; Oyonnax – Points: Julien Audy 34; Tries: Silvere Tian, Axel Muller, Anthony Fuertes, James Hall, Hika Elliot, Vincent Lasmarrigues, Julien Audy, Valentin Ursache, Jose Lima 1 each
Previous European Meetings: 1
Saturday, October 14, 2017 – Pool 5 – Oyonnax 15 Connacht 43, Stade de Genève
Match Facts –
– This will be the second meeting between the team with Connacht recording their biggest win on French soil in round 1 (43-15)
– Connacht have won their last five home games in Europe, a sixth victory would equal their best run at home which they set between December 2008 and April 2010
– Oyonnax have lost six of their last eight away games, including the last three in a row
– Connacht have kicked 12 penalty goals in this season’s Challenge Cup, more than any other side
– Jack Carty (53) has scored the most points in the tournament so far this season, while no one has scored more tries than his team-mate Matt Healy (7, level with Adam Radwan).
Challenge Cup Records:
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
Oyonnax –
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
This website uses cookies.
Read More