A home semi-final is the prize on offer for Connacht tonight as they visit Bernard Jackman’s Grenoble side in an eagerly-awaited European Challenge Cup last-eight clash.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – QUARTER-FINAL: Saturday, April 9
GRENOBLE (1st, Pool 5) v CONNACHT (1st, Pool 1), Stade des Alpes, 9.05pm local time/8.05pm Irish time (live BT Sport ESPN/beIN Sports/FR4/RTÉ Radio 1/Galway Bay FM/highlights TG4)
Team News: Pat Lam has named his Connacht team to face Grenoble in tonight’s quarter-final of the European Challenge Cup at Stade des Alpes.
The head coach has made five personnel changes and several positional switches to the side that lined out against Ulster in the GUINNESS PRO12 last week.
Kieran Marmion and Danie Poolman are drafted into the back-line with Matt Healy named at full-back for the second time this season. The former Ireland Under-20 scrum half, who is now a noted winger at provincial level, wore the number 15 shirt against Newcastle Falcons at the Sportsground back in December.
Healy’s move to full-back allows Ireland international Robbie Henshaw rekindle his centre partnership with February’s Player of the Month, Bundee Aki.
Shane O’Leary, who spent the 2013/14 season playing with tonight’s French opponents, will make his third start for Connacht at out-half, having lined out against Ulster last week and in December’s pool game away to Newcastle.
Up front, recent Ireland debutants Finlay Bealham and Ultan Dillane start for the first time since their Six Nations involvement.
The back row is reshuffled and features three Galway-born players with Sean O’Brien from the Academy coming in at blindside flanker. Eoin McKeon once again moves to openside, while John Muldooncaptains the province from number 8.
From the bench, prop JP Cooney could make his first European appearance of the current campaign, having recovered from the shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined for most of the season. Quinn Roux and Fionn Carr are also added to this week’s matchday squad.
Connacht’s current list of injured/unavailable players comprises of Heenan, Nathan White, Ben Marshall, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoghan Masterson, Ian Porter, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty, Craig Ronaldson, AJ MacGinty, Dave McSharry, Rory Parata, Api Pewhairangi, Darragh Leader, Ciaran Gaffney and Tiernan O’Halloran.
Meanwhile, the last time these two teams met in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup, current Grenoble head coach Bernard Jackman and team manager Andrew Farley were in the Connacht ranks.
The province won 26-21 in France and then followed that up with a 19-3 home win in the second leg to reach the semi-finals for the second successive season. Now, Jackman and Farley are plotting the downfall of the westerners as Grenoble seek to go further than ever before in Europe.
Jackman’s side fought back from being 15-11 adrift at half-time in Oyonnax last weekend and then had a 78th minute try from Rory Grice, converted by Jonathan Wisniewski, to win the game at the death – 27-20.
There are eight changes in personnel from that Top 14 game, with former Ulster and Ireland Under-20 centre Chris Farrell joining ex-New Zealand Sevens player Nigel Hunt in the hosts’ midfield.
Springbok star Gio Aplon and ace goal-kicker Wisniewski also return at full-back and out-half respectively, there is a whole new front row and with Peter Kimlin shifting to the second row alongside fellow Australian Ben Hand, the back row is made up of Steven Setephano, Mahamadou Diaby and number 8 Grice.
GRENOBLE: Gio Aplon; Tino Nemani, Chris Farrell, Nigel Hunt, Lucas Dupont; Jonathan Wisniewski, Charl McLeod; Sona Taumalolo, Loick Jammes, Dayna Edwards, Ben Hand (capt), Peter Kimlin, Steven Setephano, Mahamadou Diaby, Rory Grice.
Replacements: Paulin Mas, Fabien Barcella, Rossouw de Klerk, Mathias Marie, Fabien Alexandre, Lilian Saseras, Fabrice Estebanez, Fabien Gengenbacher.
CONNACHT: Matt Healy; Niyi Adeolokun, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Danie Poolman; Shane O’Leary, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, Sean O’Brien, Eoin McKeon, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Ronan Loughney, JP Cooney, Quinn Roux, James Connolly, John Cooney, Peter Robb, Fionn Carr.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Greg Garner, Craig Maxwell-Keys (both England)
Television Match Official: Rowan Kitt (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Grenoble to win: 4/11; Draw: 25/1; Connacht to win: 23/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “We have a few changes to the squad from last week but we are confident that we have a strong team to go over and execute our game-plan against Grenoble.
“While it was great to welcome Kieran back from injury this week, it was frustrating to lose Jake (Heenan) who we had initially named to start. He was really unlucky to roll his other ankle in training which has ruled him out again.
“But we have a lot of confidence in the ability of Academy players Sean O’Brien and James Connolly who have the experience of performing in the jersey already this season. Playing in these big-stage games is fantastic for the continued development of all our players going forward.
“We understand the challenge we face traveling to play a confident Grenoble side at their home ground. But this is knockout rugby and we are determined to bring a semi-final home to the Sportsground for our supporters.
“With two teams looking to play an attacking style of rugby, it will come down to the small margins in defence and who can take their opportunities. It’s set up to be a really entertaining game and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Bernard Jackman (Grenoble) – “There is a huge amount of interest in the Challenge Cup quarter-final and I know the Connacht fans will be travelling in big numbers. The atmosphere at Stade des Alpes is going to be magnificent.
“It is going to be a massive occasion for the town and the club and, having reached the last-eight, the target now has to be to go all the way to the final in Lyon. It is only an hour up the road and it would be a great moment for the club to reach a European final.
“To do that it is important that we don’t lose our ambition as a team and continue to look to express ourselves. It is easy to coach conservative rugby, but that’s not what we are looking for at Grenoble.
“But if you preach attacking rugby you need good structure in your side and to give the team a solid platform off which to work off. We are getting there and there is huge excitement throughout the club about what we might be able to achieve in Europe.”
Current Form – Grenoble (Top 14 Championship): Won 38-23 at home to Agen; Lost 25-6 away to Clermont Auvergne; Won 41-15 at home to Pau; Lost 23-14 away to Racing 92; Lost 30-19 at home to Montpellier; Won 31-23 away to Castres Olympique; Won 33-29 at home to Toulon; Lost 52-12 away to Toulouse; (European Challenge Cup): Lost 28-10 away to Edinburgh; Won 27-20 at home to London Irish; (Top 14 Championship): Lost 21-19 at home to Stade Francais; Lost 33-16 away to La Rochelle; (European Challenge Cup): Won 40-20 away to Agen; Won 48-45 at home to Agen; (Top 14 Championship): Lost 25-19 away to Bordeaux-Begles; Won 42-17 at home to Oyonnax; (European Challenge Cup): Won 28-18 away to London Irish; Won 34-23 at home to Edinburgh; (Top 14 Championship): Won 33-27 away to Agen; Lost 39-35 at home to Racing 92; Won 33-18 away to Stade Francais; Lost 45-12 at home to Clermont Auvergne; Lost 38-8 away to Toulon; Won 26-22 at home to Brive; Won 39-23 at home to La Rochelle; Won 27-20 away to Oyonnax
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; Won 47-5 at home to Enisei-STM; (GUINNESS PRO12): Won 30-17 at home to the Scarlets; Won 26-21 away to the Newport Gwent Dragons; Won 51-34 away to Zebre; Won 30-22 at home to the Ospreys; Won 28-23 away to Edinburgh; Won 7-6 at home to Leinster; Lost 18-10 away to Ulster
Top Scorers – 2015/16 European Challenge Cup: Grenoble – Points: Jonathan Wisniewski 44; Tries: Sona Taumalolo 3; Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 28; Tries: Rory Parata, John Muldoon, Danie Poolman 3 each
Previous European Meetings: 2
Saturday, January 15, 2005 – Quarter-Final Second Leg – Connacht 19 Grenoble 3, the Sportsground
Friday, January 7, 2005 – Quarter-Final First Leg – Grenoble 21 Connacht 26, Stade Lesdiguieres
Match Facts –
– The teams have met before in the Challenge Cup, with Connacht winning both legs in the 2005 quarter-finals
– Connacht have won only one of their last seven knockout fixtures in the Challenge Cup, although that sole victory was against Top 14 opposition (Bourgoin in 2010)
– Grenoble have won their last five matches in Europe, a sixth straight win would double their previous best streak in European competition
– Connacht were defeated in their last two away fixtures in the Challenge Cup – the last time they lost three away games in a Challenge Cup campaign was in 2006/07
– Connacht have won seven of their last eight matches against Top 14 opponents in the Challenge Cup, though their last match against a French club was a 21-18 defeat by Brive in round 5
– Grenoble won all their home games in the pool stages for the first time in their Challenge Cup history. However, they conceded 154 points, the most of any team to make it through to the knockout stages
– Connacht conceded only two tries in the first half of matches during the pool stages, the fewest of any team in the competition
– At 89%, Grenoble are the most accurate goal-kicking side in the campaign to date and they are 10% more accurate than the next best remaining club (Gloucester – 79%)
– Gilles Bosch successfully slotted all 11 of his kicks at goal in the pool stages, the most of any player not to miss a kick at goal
Challenge Cup Records:
Grenoble –
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2004/05: Reached the quarter-finals
2003/04: Reached round 2
2002/03: Failed to advance from round 1
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
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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