Connacht did the double on Munster last season but the injury-ravaged westerners will have it all to do when the current GUINNESS PRO12 leaders pitch up at a sold-out Sportsground.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, December 31
CONNACHT (8th) v MUNSTER (1st), the Sportsground, 5.30pm (live TG4/RTÉ Radio 1)
Team News: The Connacht team to face Munster at the Sportsground in round 12 of the GUINNESS PRO12 has been named. There are four personnel changes to the side ahead of the New Year’s Eve clash.
Peter Robb returns from injury to start in the centre alongside fellow Academy graduate Rory Parata in an otherwise unchanged back-line.
Up front, Tom McCartney is reintroduced at hooker and will captain Connacht in the injury-enforced absence of John Muldoon. Fijian Naulia Dawai will make his first start for the province at number 8. Nepia Fox-Matamua shifts to blindside flanker to accommodate the returning Jake Heenan who starts at openside, having missed the last two games.
On the bench, Belfast-born prop John Andress is named as a replacement having agreed a short-term contract with Connacht to act as cover for current front row injuries.
The selected Connacht team is subject to the return of certain players from illness and minor injury. Changes may occur on Saturday before kick-off.
Lam’s charges have had an awful run of luck with injuries of late, with their list of currently injured/unavailable players including 25 names – skipper Muldoon, Ronan Loughney, Conor Carey, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Ivan Soroka, Conan O’Donnell, Ultan Dillane, Ben Marshall, Andrew Browne, Sean O’Brien, Eoin McKeon, James Connolly, Eoghan Masterson, John Cooney, Marnitz Boshoff, Shane O’Leary, Craig Ronaldson, Stacey Ili, Bundee Aki, Eoin Griffin, Cormac Brennan, Cian Kelleher, Danie Poolman, Josh Rowland and Darragh Leader.
Meanwhile, Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has made 11 changes to the team that defeated Leinster at Thomond Park last Monday, one of which sees Kiwi centre Francis Saili make his first start of the season.
Ronan O’Mahony, Munster’s leading try scorer in the 2016/17 campaign, is the only back retained by Erasmus, starting on the left wing, while Keith Earls returns to start on the opposite flank.
Academy player Dan Goggin makes his fourth start of the season and joins Saili in a new centre partnership, with Duncan Williams and Ian Keatley selected as this week’s starting half-backs.
Although managing an elbow issue this week and initially deemed unavailable, Andrew Conway’s injury was not as bad as first feared and the full-back has been declared fit to start.
With five changes to the forwards, Rhys Marshall and Stephen Archer are introduced to the front row, joining retained loosehead prop James Cronin.
Dave Foley packs down next to Jean Kleyn in the engine room, while Billy Holland and Jack O’Donoghue are promoted to start alongside Tommy O’Donnell in the back row. In the absence of Peter O’Mahony, recent Ireland debutant Holland will captain the side.
After successfully rehabbing an elbow injury, replacement hooker Kevin O’Byrne makes his return to a matchday squad for the first time since Munster’s opening PRO12 game against the Scarlets.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Rory Parata, Peter Robb, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney (capt), Finlay Bealham, Quinn Roux, James Cannon, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Jake Heenan, Naulia Dawai.
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, JP Cooney, John Andress, Lewis Stevenson, Daniel Qualter, Caolin Blade, Ciaran Gaffney, Rory Moloney.
MUNSTER: Andrew Conway; Keith Earls, Francis Saili, Dan Goggin, Ronan O’Mahony; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; James Cronin, Rhys Marshall, Stephen Archer, Jean Kleyn, Dave Foley, Billy Holland (capt), Tommy O’Donnell, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Dave Kilcoyne, Kevin O’Byrne, Thomas du Toit, Robin Copeland, Conor Oliver, Te Aihe Toma, Rory Scannell, Jaco Taute.
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Dudley Phillips, Mark Patton (both Ireland)
Television Match Official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 2/5; Draw: 20/1; Munster to win: 21/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “With over half of our senior squad unavailable through injury and more players going down this week either with injury or sickness, it’s been another incredibly challenging week.
“We know it’s going to be very tough against Munster but despite the setbacks we have confidence in the players left standing. Being back at home in a sold-out Sportsground for the last game of 2016 also helps the situation we are in.
“We have a lot of respect for table toppers Munster and what they are achieving this season. They are without a doubt the form team of the PRO12 Championship. It’s going to take a massive team effort against them on Saturday but we’re looking forward to the significant challenge in front of us.”
Jean Kleyn (Munster) – “It (the standard) is way up there. I have to say PRO12 is very competitive and then when you make the step up to European Cup it is another level. It is world class, I have to say.
“The only thing I can compare it to is playing the New Zealand sides in Super Rugby. It is very similar, it is very fast rugby, very hard rugby. I have to say I have been enjoying it immensely. From the two games I played European Cup so far, it’s been great.
“I do know that we have had a tough time going up there (to play Connacht in Galway) the last two times so we will want to be correcting that.
“(We will be) just going out and trying to play our brand of rugby and put Connacht under pressure. I don’t know a terrible amount but obviously any time it is Ireland versus Ireland it is a good rivalry, so it is going to be good.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 59; Tries: Niyi Adeolokun 4; Munster – Points: Tyler Bleyendaal 66; Tries: Ronan O’Mahony 5
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Connacht – Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6, 20 Points; L 41-5 v Glasgow Warriors (home), L 32-11 v Ospreys (home), L 17-8 v Scarlets (away), W 28-15 v Edinburgh (home), W 30-25 v Ulster (home), L 24-13 v Leinster (away), L 21-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 18-7 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 47-8 v Benetton Treviso (home), L 23-7 v Ulster (away); Munster – Played 11, Won 9, Lost 2, 42 Points; W 23-13 v Scarlets (away), L 24-23 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 20-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away), W 28-14 v Edinburgh (home), W 49-5 v Zebre (home), Played , L 25-14 v Leinster (away), W 15-14 v Ulster (away), W 33-0 v Ospreys (home), W 46-3 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 16-15 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 29-17 v Leinster (home)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, December 27, 2013 – Munster 22 Connacht 16, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 19, 2014 – Connacht 23 Munster 32, the Sportsground
Thursday, January 1, 2015 – Connacht 24 Munster 16, the Sportsground
Saturday, March 28, 2015 – Munster 42 Connacht 20, Thomond Park
Saturday, November 28, 2015 – Munster 12 Connacht 18, Thomond Park
Saturday, April 16, 2016 – Connacht 35 Munster 14, the Sportsground
MATCH FACTS:
– Connacht’s last eight matches in the GUINNESS PRO12 have all gone in favour of the home side
– Connacht have won their last six matches at the Sportsground in all tournaments since the Ospreys were victorious there in round 2 of the PRO12
– Munster’s only defeat in the last nine rounds of the PRO12 was 25-14 to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium on October 8
– The Munstermen have the second best away record in the PRO12 this season with a won four-and-lost one record on their travels despite the fact that they have scored nine tries and conceded nine in those games
– Connacht achieved a season’s double over Munster for the first time ever last year and have won three of their last four contests against their southern neighbours
– Munster have been defeated on their last two visits to the Sportsground
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