Connacht will be aiming to keep up their proud home record against Welsh regions – they have only lost to the Ospreys in the last three seasons – when they host the play-off-chasing Scarlets at the Sportsground tonight.
GUINNESS PRO12: Saturday, April 29
CONNACHT (8th) v SCARLETS (3rd), the Sportsground, 7.35pm (live TG4/S4C)
Team News: Ahead of Connacht’s final GUINNESS PRO12 home game this season, head coach Pat Lam has made ten changes to the team to face the Scarlets at the Sportsground tonight.
Darragh Leader, who this week signed new deal with his home province, will start on the right wing for his first game in 18 months having returned from long-term injury. On the other wing, Cian Kelleher also returns following a lengthy absence this season with injury.
Tom Farrell and Eoin Griffin make up a new centre partnership, while Marnitz Boshoff is handed the reins at out-half with Caolin Blade starting alongside him in the number 9 jersey.
Up front, Ireland international Finlay Bealham shifts to loosehead prop to allow Dominic Robertson-McCoy pack down at tighthead. James Cannon forms a second row partnership with Andrew Browne who will captain the westerners this weekend. Sean O’Brien and Eoghan Masterson are promoted to the back row where they join Jake Heenan.
Commenting on the penultimate round clash with the Scarlets, Lam said: “With the Champions Cup being our main focus, the next two games present a great opportunity to prepare for the qualification play-offs in May.
“It allows us to give guys coming back from long-term injuries a chance to perform against a quality Scarlets side. Saturday night is our last PRO12 game at home and as always, we will be looking to put in a huge effort for us and our supporters who have been fantastic all season.”
Meanwhile, the Scarlets welcome the return of top-scoring out-half Rhys Patchell (107 points) for their crucial PRO12 date with last year’s champions in Galway.
Patchell is back for the semi-final hopefuls following a calf strain, but the west Wales region make the trip without openside flanker James Davies, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Judgement Day V win over the Newport Gwent Dragons a fortnight ago.
With the Scarlets’ strength in depth paying dividends, head coach Wayne Pivac has named Hadleigh Parkes in midfield alongside Jonathan Davies with Scott Williams dropping back to the replacements bench. Fellow Wales international, scrum half Gareth Davies, is also on bench duty with Jonathan Evans coming into the starting XV.
Flanker Aaron Shingler returns from injury to take his place in the back row alongside Will Boyde, making a return from illness, and Scotland international John Barclay.
Former Leinster and Ireland Under-20 forward Tadhg Beirne joins Jake Ball in the second row, while the all-international front row of Rob Evans, Ken Owens and Samson Lee remains unchanged.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Darragh Leader, Tom Farrell, Eoin Griffin, Cian Kelleher; Marnitz Boshoff, Caolin Blade; Finlay Bealham, Dave Heffernan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, James Cannon, Andrew Browne (capt), Sean O’Brien, Jake Heenan, Eoghan Masterson.
Replacements: Shane Delahunt, Denis Buckley, JP Cooney, Quinn Roux, John Muldoon, John Cooney, Craig Ronaldson, Danie Poolman.
SCARLETS: Johnny Mcnicholl; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Evans; Rob Evans, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Jake Ball, Tadhg Beirne, Aaron Shingler, Will Boyde, John Barclay.
Replacements: Ryan Elias, Wyn Jones, Werner Kruger, David Bulbring, Josh Macleod, Gareth Davies, Scott Williams, DTH van der Merwe.
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Lloyd Linton (Scotland), Helen O’Reilly (Ireland)
Television Match Official: Charles Samson (Scotland)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Connacht to win: 6/4; Draw: 17/1; Scarlets to win: 8/13
Pre-Match Quotes: John Muldoon (Connacht) – “While there are just two games to go in the regular PRO12 season, there’s still a lot for this Connacht team to play for. We’re not where we wanted to finish in the table but our ultimate goal of Champions Cup qualification is still on the line and that’s exciting.
“Obviously, we want to win these next two games and be heading into the play-offs on the back of some quality performances. We have the play-off secured so the bigger picture is making sure that the team is in a good place going in to those knock-out games in May.
“Not knowing what country we will be playing in or who we’ll be facing is a bit of a strange scenario for ourselves and Cardiff Blues to be in, but at the end of the day, we have a chance to retain our Champions Cup status and we’re going to give it everything.
“But it’s all about the Scarlets this weekend, and they obviously are a quality side coming to town stacked with some very good players. They have the Welsh front row – Rob Evans, Ken Owens and Samson Lee – and they have a very good back row with John Barclay in there.
“The big thing is the Scarlets have such flair running throughout their squad. From a Lion in Jonathan Davies at centre, and Scott Williams, another Welsh star, who kept Jamie Roberts out of the Welsh team during the Six Nations beside him. They have got Gareth Davies at nine too, so there’s no doubt they have lots of quality.
“The big frustration for us this year is there is no doubt that we can score tries and put pressure on teams. It’s just the execution hasn’t been there a lot of the time. It’s something we have spoken about quite a bit but it keeps rearing its head.
“We are creating line breaks and creating chances but we’re not taking them. We need to put teams under pressure and ensure that if we don’t get over the line the first time, we know how to go again in different situations. This weekend we have to be more patient, and work even harder in our systems. We need to make sure the pressure is on them and not us.”
Wayne Pivac (Scarlets) – “Connacht are certainly a dangerous side, they throw the ball around from all over the place. We’ve got to make sure that we’re up for the game defensively, there could be a lot of running in the game!
“Last year we went out there and we were very disappointed. We didn’t have the level of discipline required at this level of the game. That’s in the back of the minds. We have to go out there and be very disciplined and make sure that we put on a display that’s worthy of a top four place.
“We need to make sure that mentally and physically we’re right for the game. I’d like to think we’re potentially 80-minutes away from claiming a top four berth, depending on other results. All the incentive is there. We have to take our opportunities when they present themselves.”
Top Scorers – 2016/17 GUINNESS PRO12: Connacht – Points: Jack Carty 70; Tries: Niyi Adeolokun 6; Scarlets – Points: Rhys Patchell 107; Tries: Steffan Evans 8
2016/17 TEAM FORM: Connacht – Played 20, Won 9, Lost 11, 44 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), L 16-9 v Munster (home), L 29-7 v Ospreys (away), W 19-13 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 14-9 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 34-19 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 33-3 v Zebre (home), L 35-24 v Glasgow Warriors (away), L 25-22 v Zebre (away), W 22-19 v Edinburgh (away), L 37-24 v Leinster (home); Scarlets – Played 20, Won 15, Lost 5, 67 Points; L 23-13 v Munster (home), L 20-9 v Edinburgh (away), L 19-8 v Ulster (away), W 17-8 v Connacht (home), W 22-6 v Benetton Treviso (away), W 31-27 v Newport Gwent Dragons (home), W 26-15 v Cardiff Blues (away), W 27-3 v Glasgow Warriors (home), W 38-29 v Leinster (home), W 31-24 v Zebre (away), L 19-9 v Ospreys (away), W 15-10 v Cardiff Blues (home), W 16-13 v Ulster (home), W 26-14 v Glasgow Warriors (away), W 42-7 v Zebre (home), W 30-21 v Munster (away), L 45-9 v Leinster (away), W 26-10 v Edinburgh (home), W 51-5 v Benetton Treviso (home), W 21-16 v Newport Gwent Dragons (away)
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Sunday, March 30, 2014 – Scarlets 32 Connacht 30, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, November 29, 2014 – Connacht 14 Scarlets 8, the Sportsground
Sunday, February 15, 2015 – Scarlets 32 Connacht 14, Parc y Scarlets
Sunday, January 10, 2016 – Scarlets 21 Connacht 19, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, January 30, 2016 – Connacht 30 Scarlets 17, the Sportsground
Saturday, September 24, 2016 – Scarlets 17 Connacht 8, Parc y Scarlets
MATCH FACTS:
– Connacht’s only victory in the last four rounds of the GUINNESS PRO12 came on a visit to Edinburgh on April 7
– The westerners have lost just twice in Galway since mid-September: against Munster on New Year’s Eve and Leinster in round 20 a fortnight ago
– Connacht’s only two home defeats to Welsh regions in the last three seasons have both been to the Ospreys
– The Scarlets’ only loss in the last nine rounds of the PRO12 was to Leinster in Dublin on March 4, a defeat which also saw them end a four-match winning run against Irish provinces
– Connacht have won only two of their last ten encounters with the Scarlets – both in Galway, in November 2014 and January 2016
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