Connacht lost their grip on Pool 1’s top spot last week when suffering a late loss away to Brive, so their hopes of reaching the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals rest on a home win over Enisei-STM and the hope that other final round results go their way.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 1: Saturday, January 23
CONNACHT (2nd) v ENISEI-STM (4th), the Sportsground, 3pm (live Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Pat Lam has named his Connacht side to face Enisei-STM in their final pool match of the European Challenge Cup at the Sportsground. The head coach has made six changes to the team that lined out against Brive last weekend.
All four Connacht players named in the Ireland RBS 6 Nations squad this week are included. Nathan White returns to join the uncapped Ultan Dillane in the pack, while Robbie Henshaw and Kieran Marmion are back from injury to take their places in an otherwise unchanged back-line.
There is a new front row with the introduction of Connacht natives Denis Buckley and Dave Heffernan alongside White, while Eoghan Masterson’s selection at number 8 allows captain John Muldoon to return to the blindside flanker berth.
Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, the Enisei-STM management have kept faith with the fifteen players who started last Saturday’s shock 24-7 victory over English club Newcastle Falcons in Sochi.
That performance and result, combined with their familiarity with Galway from previous trips for friendly matches, means Enisei will be brimming with confidence come kick-off time on Saturday.
Georgian international centre David Kacharava touched down twice, Russia winger Denis Simplikevich also crossed the whitewash and reliable out-half Iurii Kushnarev landed four place-kicks as they downed the Falcons for their second home win in this season’s Challenge Cup.
Captain Jurijs Baranovs, who played at scrum half in the 31-14 round 1 defeat to Connacht, is now in the back-three with Ramil Gaisin and Simplikevich, while prop Innokentiy Zykov, locks Uldis Saulite and Viacheslav KrasyInyk and back rowers Vitalii Orlov and Andrey Temnov also started against Lam’s men back in mid-November.
* The 2016 European Rugby Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals featuring the cream of European professional club rugby will be staged in Lyon next May.
Both showpiece matches will be held at the brand new 59,000-capacity Grand Stade de Lyon with the Challenge Cup final going ahead on Friday, May 13 (9pm) and the Champions Cup scheduled for Saturday, May 14 (5.45pm).
Tickets for the finals are now on sale and with demand expected to be high for one of Europe’s most prestigious sporting weekends, fans are advised to purchase without delay. Purchase your ticket(s) online here.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Danie Poolman, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; AJ MacGinty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Nathan White, Ultan Dillane, Aly Muldowney, John Muldoon (capt), James Connolly, Eoghan Masterson.
Replacements: Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Rodney Ah You, George Naoupu, Sean O’Brien, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty, Rory Parata.
ENISEI-STM: Ramil Gaisin; Jurijs Baranovs (capt), David Kacharava, Mikhail Babaev, Denis Simplikevich; Iurii Kushnarev, Alexey Shcherban; Alexey Volkov, Nazir Gasanov, Innokentiy Zykov, Uldis Saulite, Viacheslav Krasylnyk, Vitalii Orlov, Andrey Temnov, Anton Rudoi.
Replacements: Stanislav Selskii, Andrei Polivalov, Evgenii Pronenko, Mikhail Sidorov, Igor Kurashov, Dmitriy Simonov, Nikolay Serkov, Plavel Butenko.
Referee: Tom Foley (England)
Assistant Referees: Greg Macdonald, Roger Baileff (both England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 1/200; Draw: 100/1; Enisei-STM to win: 55/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “We know we will need a clinical and focused performance on Saturday that ensures we take our chances and scores.
“Enisei will be coming here with confidence following their defeats of both Brive and Newcastle in our pool. They are a big, physical side and can do some damage if they are given a chance. But it’s up to us to take control of this game from the start.
“It’s great to have some guys back from injury for what is a crucial game for us in terms of our European ambitions. We are really excited to be back at the Sportsground this weekend and we are determined to give our loyal supporters something to cheer about.”
Current Form – 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; (European Challenge Cup): Lost 21-18 away to Brive
Enisei-STM – (European Challenge Cup): Lost 31-14 at home to Connacht; Lost 55-7 away to Newcastle Falcons; Won 10-7 at home to Brive; Lost 33-3 away to Brive; Won 24-7 at home to Newcastle Falcons
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Challenge Cup: Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 26; Tries: Rory Parata 3, John Muldoon 3 each; Enisei-STM – Points: Iurii Kushnarev 23; Tries: Andrei Polivalov, Denis Simplikevich, David Kacharava 2 each
Previous European Meetings: 1
Saturday, November 14, 2015 – Pool 1 – Enisei-STM 14 Connacht 31, Central Stadium, Krasnoyarsk
Match Facts –
– Connacht have now lost their last two Challenge Cup matches, this after winning their opening three games of the campaign
– In contrast, Enisei have won two of their last three, although they are yet to win away in the competition
– Enisei-STM have been outscored 88-10 so far in their away campaign in the Challenge Cup
– Connacht have won 12 of their last 15 home matches in the Challenge Cup, including both of their home fixtures this season
Challenge Cup Records:
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
Enisei-STM –
N/A
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