Connacht have won their last three encounters with the Newport Gwent Dragons and will be quietly confident of extending that good run when the teams meet at the Sportsground on Saturday.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, September 6
CONNACHT v NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS, the Sportsground, 5pm (live Galway Bay FM)
Team News: Connacht head coach Pat Lam has named his squad for the opening GUINNESS PRO12 match against the Newport Gwent Dragons at the Sportsground.
In making their competitive Connacht debuts in round 1, lock Quinn Roux, scrum half Ian Porter and winger Niyi Adeolokun all start.
Jack Carty has been handed the reins at out-half for the game against the Welsh region, while Shane Layden from Carrick-on-Shannon has been named at full-back.
Layden, a 21-year-old Academy back, made an appearance off the bench against Leinster in October 2011 but has battled with injuries in recent years. The former Roscommon minor footballer has trained with the senior squad all summer to earn his place in Saturday’s starting line-up.
Up front, John Muldoon will captain the westerners from blindside flanker alongside fellow Galway man Eoin McKeon and New Zealander Jake Heenan, who makes a welcome return following surgery back in February.
From the bench, 21-year-old Academy graduate Conor Finn from Ballinasloe is also in line to earn his first competitive cap.
Tickets for Connacht v Dragons are selling fast with the Clan Stand already sold out. The remaining tickets are available on tickets.ie, in Centra & SuperValu stores province-wide and from the Connacht Rugby offices at the Sportsground. Adult tickets start at €;20 while it is €;5 for all juniors (17 years and under).
Meanwhile, Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones has chosen a mixture of youth and experience in his team to face Connacht.
Skipper Lee Byrne will make his debut alongside Boris Stankovich, Lloyd Fairbrother, Rynard Landman and Andy Powell. The back-three is a trio of internationals as Byrne is named as full-back with both Tom Prydie and recently returned Dragon Aled Brew on the wing.
Jones has given the nod to the new-look centre pairing of Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan. Jason Tovey, the Dragon’ highest ever points scorer, retains the number 10 jersey alongside half-back partner Jonathan Evans.
Hooker Elliot Dee and newcomers Stankovich and Fairbrother combine in the front row with Andrew Coombs, last year’s captain, named in the second row with South African Landman.
The selected back row contains flankers Lewis Evans and Nic Cudd alongside former Lion Powell at number 8.
CONNACHT: Shane Layden; Niyi Adeolokun, Darragh Leader, David McSharry, Danie Poolman; Jack Carty, Ian Porter; Denis Buckley, David Heffernan, Nathan White, Michael Kearney, Quinn Roux, John Muldoon (capt), Jake Heenan, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Sean Henry, Finlay Bealham, Rodney Ah You, George Naoupu, Willie Faloon, Kieran Marmion, Miah Nikora, Conor Finn.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS: Lee Byrne (capt); Tom Prydie, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Aled Brew; Jason Tovey, Jonathan Evans; Boris Stankovich, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother, Andrew Coombs, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans, Nic Cudd, Andy Powell.
Replacements: Rhys Thomas, Owen Evans, Dan Way, Ian Gough, Toby Faletau, Dorian Jones, Geraint Rhys Jones, Barney Nightingale.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, Mark Connolly (both Ireland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 4/6; Draw: 18/1; Newport Gwent Dragons to win: 11/10
Pre-Match Quotes: Pat Lam (Connacht) – “Selecting the first team to go out was a really tough process. Despite some of the injuries we have, the competitiveness shown by the squad has made it difficult for the coaches but at the end of the day, that’s what we want from the players.
“The team that is lining out tomorrow is based on the hard work that has been done over the last nine weeks.
“It’s a very young side throughout but having the experience of leaders John Muldoon and Nathan White on the field will be invaluable.
“We have some Connacht debutants with both Ian Porter and Quinn Roux slotting in after a good pre-season. It’s also very pleasing to see young Niyi Adeolokun earning his first ever professional cap.
“Since Niyi has come in, he’s ticked every single box. He’s impressed his team-mates and coaches with his work ethic and the speed at which he’s adapted to the professional set-up. He deserves this start and it’s very exciting for both him and his family.
“After a long battle with injuries, Shane Layden is back fighting fit and starting at full-back tomorrow. His determination and focus to get back to this position is a credit to him.
“Without scrum half John Cooney available to us just yet, the IRFU have been very flexible to us in allowing Ireland international Kieran Marmion to take a place on the bench in order to cover number 9.
“We have prepared well but we know the Dragons will be no pushover. They have recruited well in the summer and are coming here on the back of a huge win last week against the Northampton Saints, the current Premiership champions who had their full squad out.
“That shows exactly where they are at and they’ll be tough opponents for a lot of teams this year including us tomorrow.
“But we are still confident of getting off to a winning start at the Sportsground. Having a good home record is vital to us so the key thing is to channel all our excitement, effort, fight and desire to win at home into the process of winning the game.”
Lyn Jones (Newport Gwent Dragons) – “The Ospreys have been the leading light in Welsh rugby for too long. They need to be challenged and it’s up to us, Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets to pick it up and surpass them.
“In the Celtic League there’s one side from Scotland that’s very strong – Glasgow – three from Ireland (Leinster, Ulster and Munster) and all the Welsh regions are nip and tuck, so there’s lots to play for.
“It’s difficult to see who will finish where but the key to it all is injuries. If you’ve got your best players on the field for most of the season you are going to do well.
“The squad is the key because everybody will get injured from time to time, but the people coming in need to be of equal ability and hungry.”
Top Scorers – 2013/14 RaboDirect PRO12: Connacht – Points: Dan Parks 101; Tries: Fionn Carr, Kieran Marmion, Matt Healy 5 each; Newport Gwent Dragons – Points: Jason Tovey 176; Tries: Ross Wardle 5
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Friday, September 23, 2011 – Connacht 17 Newport Gwent Dragons 13, the Sportsground
Friday, March 30, 2012 – Newport Gwent Dragons 19 Connacht 27, Rodney Parade
Friday, November 23, 2012 – Newport Gwent Dragons 14 Connacht 3, Rodney Parade
Saturday, January 5, 2013 – Connacht 30 Newport Gwent Dragons 11, the Sportsground
Saturday, December 21, 2013 – Connacht 14 Newport Gwent Dragons 11, the Sportsground
Sunday, March 23, 2014 – Newport Gwent Dragons 8 Connacht 24, Rodney Parade
MATCH FACTS:
– Connacht concluded last season with an unwanted run of five successive defeats since they beat the Dragons at Rodney Parade at the end of March
– The westerners have been successful in their round 1 fixture for three of the last four seasons
– The Dragons’ 20-19 victory over Benetton Treviso in round 22 last season ended a seven-match winless run in the competition
– The Dragons have won their opening fixture for the past two seasons, but their only away victory in the
GUINNESS PRO12 since February 2013 came at Glasgow in round 8 last year
– Connacht’s only defeat to the Dragons in their last six meetings was 14-3 at Rodney Parade in November 2012, while the men of Gwent have won just once before at the Sportsground: 32-14 on their first ever visit on May 1, 2004
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