Pat Lam has primed his troops for ‘the biggest game in Connacht’s history’ as they attempt to reach their first ever Champions Cup quarter-final. They must either win at Toulouse or at least ensure that the result sees them finishing ahead of the Frenchmen in the final pool table.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP – POOL 2: Sunday, January 22
TOULOUSE (3rd) v CONNACHT (1st), Stade Ernest Wallon, 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time (live Sky Sports 4 HD/FR2/beIN Sports/Galway Bay FM/RTÉ Radio 1/highlights TG4)
Team News: Connacht head coach Pat Lam has named his team to face Toulouse in this afternoon’s final pool game of the Champions Cup at Stade Ernest Wallon.
There are five personnel changes to the side that lined out at the Sportsground in the bonus point win over Zebre a week ago.
Jack Carty has recovered from injury to take the reins at out-half, while Peter Robb also returns to form a new centre partnership with Craig Ronaldson.
Up front, Ireland international Quinn Roux comes in having missed out last week. The back row is also boosted by the return from injury of flankers Nepia Fox-Matamua and Jake Heenan.
Commenting on the crunch round 6 encounter with Toulouse, Lam said: “We are aware of the phenomenal challenge that awaits us in Toulouse (on Sunday) but these are the sort of games that you want to be a part of. It’s an opportunity, as a player and as a team, to put in a performance on the big stage.
“While the right outcome would be massive for Irish Rugby, the focus remains on executing our game-plan in a pressure environment to get us the win we need.”
The province’s current list of injured/unavailable players includes Conor Carey, Ivan Soroka, Conan O’Donnell, Ultan Dillane, Andrew Browne, Ben Marshall, Marnitz Boshoff, Shane O’Leary, Stacey Ili, Bundee Aki, Eoin Griffin, Cormac Brennan, Cian Kelleher, Darragh Leader and Josh Rowland.
Meanwhile, Toulouse boss Ugo Mola has made three personnel changes and three positional switches to the side that was narrowly beaten 17-14 at Wasps. Mola’s men will be chasing a bonus point victory in order to overhaul Connacht and claim one of the best runners-up spots.
Wingers Arthur Bonneval and Paul Perez come into the back-line with Yoann Huget, a second half try scorer in Coventry, moving to full-back, while Yoann Maestri returns to the second row to partner Scotland’s Richie Gray.
Maestri and Gray will pack down behind the unchanged front row of Cyril Baille, Christopher Tolofua and Census Johnston who caused Connacht plenty of scrum problems during the first round clash in Galway.
Former France captain Thierry Dusautoir, who was injured for that game at the Sportsground, moves from blindside flanker to the openside with Joe Tekori donning the number 6 jersey and Talalelei Gray dropping to the bench.
TOULOUSE: Yoann Huget; Arthur Bonneval, Yann David, Gael Fickou, Paul Perez; Jean-Marc Doussain, Sébastien Bézy; Cyril Baille, Christopher Tolofua, Census Johnston, Richie Gray, Yoann Maestri, Joe Tekori, Thierry Dusautoir (capt), Francois Cros.
Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini, Vasil Kakovin, Gurthro Steenkamp, Talalelei Gray, Piula Faasalele, Gillian Galan, Toby Flood, Alexis Palisson.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Peter Robb, Craig Ronaldson, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney, Finlay Bealham, Quinn Roux, James Cannon, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Jake Heenan, John Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, JP Cooney, John Andress, Sean O’Brien, Naulia Dawai, John Cooney, Tom Farrell, Danie Poolman.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: JP Doyle, Peter Allan (both England)
Television Match Official: David Grashoff (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Toulouse to win: 1/8; Draw: 33/1; Connacht to win: 11/2
Pre-Match Quotes: Conor McPhillips (Connacht) – “We just talk about getting our stuff right – if we get up and put pressure on them, if we can take away their time, stop them gaining the momentum they want.
“In fairness, you can never doubt our boys’ bravery. We knew if we were near them (Toulouse) at the end (in Galway), we’d back our fitness and our game to see it through. That’s the same again this weekend. They may run at us more but we’d back ourselves not to make the mistakes we made previously, we’ll back our game and run them ragged.
“There’s been a big shift in Irish Rugby and we back ourselves as a fit team – we play an expansive game you have to be fit to play and we do it.
“Toulouse go toe to toe with other traditional French teams but we’re slightly different. They’re not used to playing a team like us. So we take them out of their comfort zone.”
Denis Buckley (Connacht) – “We are looking at this as an opportunity to win in France and qualify for the quarter-finals. We are going with confidence. The last time we were over there we beat Toulouse, and we have already beaten them this season too.
“To repeat that we have to be on the money as a collective and I’m confident that we have the ability to win it. It’s just up to us to play to our strengths. Of course it is going to be very tough but it’s definitely achievable.
“We have had a few things to look at and work on this past week, and we have identified a few things that we can try and make the most of. They’ve got a great scrum and their maul is really powerful. Straight away that’s two areas we have to be good at.
“If you let some of their big forwards get momentum going they can be really dangerous. But if you look out the back, there is huge quality there as well. With a pack that big, if we can play with a high intensity we believe we can cause them trouble as we have done in the past.
“We want to negate their strengths and play to ours – we can’t get into an arm wrestle with them because we’ll come second. But if we can turn it into a fast, expansive game, maybe that’s where we can shine.”
Current Form – Toulouse – (Top 14 Championship): Won 20-12 v Montpellier (home), Won 22-17 v Bordeaux-Bègles (home), Lost 28-14 v Racing 92 (away), Lost 32-15 v Toulon (home), Lost 25-20 v Lyon (away), Won 23-18 v Stade Francais (home), Won 31-3 v Grenoble (home), Lost 29-25 v Clermont Auvergne (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 23-21 v Connacht (away), Drew 20-20 v Wasps (home); (Top 14 Championship): Won 24-20 v Pau (away), Won 16-15 v Castres Olympique (home), Lost 25-19 v La Rochelle (away), Lost 16-13 v Bayonne (away), Won 30-12 v Brive (home); (Champions Cup): Won 36-6 v Zebre (away), Won 54-15 v Zebre (home); (Top 14 Championship): Lost 26-22 v Grenoble (away), Won 26-20 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Won 18-15 v Stade Francais (away); (Champions Cup): Lost 17-14 v Wasps (away)
Connacht – (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 41-5 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Lost 32-11 v Ospreys (home), Lost 17-8 v Scarlets (away), Won 28-15 v Edinburgh (home), Won 30-25 v Ulster (home); (Champions Cup): Won 23-21 v Toulouse (home), Won 52-7 v Zebre (away); (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 24-13 v Leinster (away), Lost 21-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), Won 18-7 v Cardiff Blues (home), Won 47-8 v Benetton Treviso (home); (Champions Cup): Lost 32-17 v Wasps (away), Won 20-18 v Wasps (home); (GUINNESS PRO12): Lost 23-7 v Ulster (away), Lost 16-9 v Munster (home), Lost 29-7 v Ospreys (away); (Champions Cup): Won 66-22 v Zebre (home)
Top Scorers – 2016/17 European Champions Cup: Toulouse – Points: Sébastien Bézy 29; Tries: Arthur Bonneval, Yoann Huget 3 each; Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 28; Tries: Stacey Ili, Tiernan O’Halloran, Kieran Marmion 3 each
Previous European Meetings: 5
Saturday, October 15, 2016 – Pool 2 – Connacht 23 Toulouse 21, the Sportsground
Saturday, December 14 – Pool 3 – Connacht 9 Toulouse 37, the Sportsground
Sunday, December 8, 2013 – Pool 3 – Toulouse 14 Connacht 16, Stade Ernest Wallon
Saturday, January 14, 2012 – Pool 6 – Toulouse 24 Connacht 3, Stade Ernest Wallon
Saturday, November 19, 2011 – Pool 6 – Connacht 10 Toulouse 36, the Sportsground
Match Facts –
– After previous defeats to Ulster and to Connacht, Toulouse are looking to avoid a third consecutive home loss against Irish opposition
– Connacht won in Toulouse in round 3 in 2013, having scored just three points in total on their two previous Champions Cup games in France
– Connacht top the charts for carries, metres, clean breaks and defenders beaten this season
– Connacht are the only team in the competition to average more than 20 minutes of possession per game so far (20 minutes and 13 seconds)
– Toulouse have averaged 24.8 offloads per game in this campaign, no other side has averaged 20
European Cup Records:
Toulouse –
2015/16: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2013/14: Reached the quarter-finals
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2011/12: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Reached the semi-finals
2009/10: Champions
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Runners-up
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 5
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Champions
2003/04: Runners-up
2002/03: Champions
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
1999/00: Reached the semi-finals
1998/99: Reached the quarter-finals
1997/98: Reached the semi Finals
1996/97: Reached the semi-finals
1995/96: Champions
Connacht –
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 6
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