Connacht travel to Brive in what could be the decisive fixture in European Challenge Cup Pool 1, with three sides still in with a chance of topping the table next week. The westerners have won 12 of their last 13 matches against French teams in the tournament.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 1: Saturday, January 16
BRIVE (3rd) v CONNACHT (1st), Stade Amédée-Domenech, 8.45pm local time/7.45pm Irish time (live FR4/beIN Sports/Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Pat Lam has named his Connacht team to face Brive in round 5 of the European Challenge Cup at Stade Amédée-Domenech. The head coach has made 10 changes to the side that faced the Scarlets five days ago.
USA international out-half AJ MacGinty has been handed his third start of the season, and Ian Porter comes in to partner him at half-back. Bundee Aki moves to inside centre to allow Academy centre Rory Parata wear the number 13 jersey.
Danie Poolman returns to start on the right wing, while Tiernan O’Halloran and Matt Healy – the scorer of a terrific solo try in Llanelli last weekend – are retained to complete the back-three.
Up front, Ronan Loughney, Jason Harris-Wright and Rodney Ah You start in a new front row and Aly Muldowney partners Ultan Dillane in the second row this week.
Academy flankers Sean O’Brien and James Connolly are named in the back row, with captain John Muldoon shifting to the number 8 position.
Denis Buckley makes a welcome return from injury to take his place on a bench that also includes George Naoupu, Caolin Blade and Peter Robb. Jack Carty is in line to mark his 50th appearance for Connacht if he is used as a replacement in France.
Commenting on the team selection and the round 5 encounter, Lam said: “Saturday’s game against Brive is a massive one for us in terms of our European ambitions. Securing a home quarter-final is a goal we set out at the start of the season.
“Brive are flying in the Top 14 and have only been beaten once at home this season, so we know it’s going to be another tough assignment on the road. But playing in France is always a challenge the boys enjoy and we’re really looking forward to it.
“We’ve made a few changes to the side with the short enough turnaround from last week’s trip to Wales. With guys coming back from injury, competition for places is very high and this is a great opportunity for those lining out on Saturday to put in a performance for the team.”
Meanwhile, the Brive team selected for the rematch with Connacht shows seven personnel changes to the side that lost 21-17 at the Sportsground in November.
Right winger Guillaume Namy and centre Thomas Laranjeira come into the back-line, with Georgian prop Goderzi Shvelidze, locks Victor Lebas and Arnaud Mela (the captain and four-times capped French international) and back rowers Fabien Sanconnie and Sisa Koyamaibole all introduced up front.
BRIVE: Romain Sola; Guillaume Namy, Thomas Laranjeira, Christopher Tuatara, Benito Masilevu; Matthieu Ugalde, Jean-Baptiste Pejoine; Goderzi Shvelidze, Thomas Acquier, Kevin Buys, Victor Lebas, Arnaud Mela (capt), William Whetton, Fabien Sanconnie, Sisa Koyamaibole.
Replacements: Guillaume Ribes, Damien Lavergne, Yusuf Tuncer, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Poutasi Luafutu, Teddy Iribaren, Nicolas Bezy, Arnaud Mignardi.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Danie Poolman, Rory Parata, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; AJ MacGinty, Ian Porter; Ronan Loughney, Jason Harris-Wright, Rodney Ah You, Ultan Dillane, Aly Muldowney, Sean O’Brien, James Connolly, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Tom McCartney, Denis Buckley, Finlay Bealham, George Naoupu, Eoghan Masterson, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty, Peter Robb.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (England)
Assistant Referees: Dean Richards, Paul Burton (both England)
Television Match Official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Brive to win: 8/13; Draw: 16/1; Connacht to win: 7/5
Pre-Match Quotes: John Muldoon (Connacht) – “Brive is a certainly a different challenge for us this week, even when you just look at the sheer size of their players. They have a big ball-carrying number 8 who is over 130 kilos, for example.
“They have a huge pack, a big maul and scrum and big one-out runners, so we expect it to be a lot different to what we’ve been playing against the last few weeks.
“It’s a different test but something we’re really looking forward to. We can really feed off the atmosphere over there. You know you’re doing well because the crowd get on their own team’s back and when they’re even more boisterous when they’re doing well. It’s always a good experience. It is also a huge game for us.
“To progress in the competition and more importantly to get a home quarter-final, we know we need to go over there and win. We’ve played Brive already here at the Sportsground and it was tough.
“Having said that, the game came on the back of a huge travel delay in Russia so a lot of the guys that went out to play didn’t have a good week’s prep. Obviously we will have had a more focused week in the build-up to Saturday, albeit after a long day traveling through France as well. But we’re used to that and it’s just the added challenge of playing away from home.
“It’s definitely a mental battle too when you go over there. I think it’s a game that we’ll relish though, particularly in the forwards. Looking at their games, a lot of their opportunities come with penalties off scrums and mauls.
“So if we can nail our jobs especially in maul defence and the scrum, we will be taking away a major weapon of theirs. Typically against French sides when you win the forward contests, it can make life a lot easier for you and it will put us in a good position to win the game.”
Current Form – Brive – (Top 14 Championship): Lost 24-7 away to Toulouse; Won 22-13 at home to Stade Francais; Lost 21-18 away to La Rochelle; Won 18-12 at home to Agen; Won 29-26 at home to Toulon; Won 18-13 away to Pau; Lost 17-14 away to Racing 92; Won 16-3 at home to Bordeaux-Begles; (European Challenge Cup): Won 13-9 at home to Newcastle Falcons; Lost 21-17 away to Connacht; (Top 14 Championship): Won 34-9 away to Oyonnax; Lost 26-21 at home to Clermont Auvergne; (European Challenge Cup): Lost 10-7 away to Enisei-STM; Won 33-3 at home to Enisei-STM; (Top 14 Championship): Lost 23-8 away to Castres Olympique; Won 19-18 at home to Montpellier
Connacht – (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 29-23 at home to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Lost 33-32 away to Glasgow Warriors; Won 36-31 at home to Cardiff Blues; Won 34-15 at home to Zebre; Won 21-16 away to the Ospreys; Won 14-9 at home to Edinburgh; Won 33-19 at home to Benetton Treviso; (European Challenge Cup): Won 31-14 away to Enisei-STM; Won 21-17 at home to Brive; (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 18-12 away to Munster; Lost 20-16 away to Cardiff Blues; (European Challenge Cup): Won 25-10 at home to Newcastle Falcons; Lost 29-5 away to Newcastle Falcons; (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 10-3 at home to Ulster; Lost 13-0 away to Leinster; Lost 21-19 away to the Scarlets
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Challenge Cup: Brive – Points: Nicolas Bezy 10; Tries: Thomas Acquier 2; Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 26; Tries: Rory Parata, Danie Poolman 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 3
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 –
– Brive have won two of their last three matches against Connacht, though never has either team scored more than 22 points in any of those matches
– Brive come into the match on the back of a win and they will be looking for consecutive victories in the Challenge Cup for the first time in exactly two years (16/01/2014)
– Connacht have won three of their last five matches away from home, including two wins against French opposition (Bayonne and La Rochelle)
– Connacht have won 12 of their last 13 matches against teams from France in the Challenge Cup, including a current streak of seven wins
Challenge Cup Records:
Brive –
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 –
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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