Team News: Connacht head coach Eric Elwood has announced his starting line-up and replacement for Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 encounter with Benetton Treviso at Stadio di Monigo.
Full-back Gavin Duffy will lead the side out, having been unveiled as Connacht’s new captain earlier this week.
The former Mayo minor footballer has 10 Ireland Test caps and was part of Declan Kidney’s Rugby World Cup training squad this summer.
He is supported on the wings by flying Ulsterman Mark McCrea and Ireland Under-20 International Tiernan O’Halloran, while the dynamic centre partnership of Henry Fa’afili and Eoin Griffin gets its first outing in competitive action.
Talented scrum half Frank Murphy and former Ospreys out-half Matthew Jarvis will also start their first league game together, following a fine display in the pre-season friendly against Saracens last week.
Connacht have four players in the pack with more than 100 caps each. Adrian Flavin, recent Ireland debutant Mike McCarthy and John Muldoon have all reached the milestone, while Michael Swift is just short of his 200th cap for the province.
Ronan Loughney and Ray Ofisa, with 80 and 89 caps respectively, provide plenty more experience with George Naoupu and Rodney Ah You completing the starting pack.
Meanwhile, Benetton Treviso boss Franco Smith has included a number of debutants in his side, with a dozen of the Italian club’s players away on Rugby World Cup duty.
In the front row, props Augusto Allori and Michele Rizzo will link up with hooker Franco Sbaraglini. Captain Antonio Pavanello and Valerio Bernabò are the starting locks, while the back row will be anchored by powerful Fijian Manoa Vosawai.
South African Willem de Waal will don the number 10 jersey, playing alongside league newcomer Alberto Chillon.
Andrea Pratichetti, who is normally a winger, and regular out-half Kris Burton have been paired together in a new-look centre partnership.
Ludovico Nitoglia, Michele Sepe and the ever dangerous Brendan Williams make up the home side’s back-three.
BENETTON TREVISO: Ludovico Nitoglia; Michele Sepe, Kris Burton, Andrea Pratichetti, Brendan Williams; Willem de Waal, Alberto Chillon; Michele Rizzo, Franco Sbaraglini, Augusto Allori, Antonio Pavanello (capt), Valerio Bernabò, Marco Filippucci, Francesco Minto, Manoa Vosawai.
Replacements: Diego Vidal, Matteo Muccignat, Pedro di Santo, Gonzalo Padrò, Benjamin Vermaak, Simon Picone, Alberto di Bernardo, Benjamin de Jager.
CONNACHT: Gavin Duffy (capt); Mark McCrea, Eoin Griffin, Henry Fa’afili, Tiernan O’Halloran; Matthew Jarvis, Frank Murphy; Ronan Loughney, Adrian Flavin, Rodney Ah You, Michael Swift, Mike McCarthy, John Muldoon, Ray Ofisa, George Naoupu.
Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Denis Buckley, Dylan Rogers, Thomas Anderson, Johnny O’Connor, Paul O’Donohoe, Niall O’Connor, Brian Tuohy.
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Stefano Marrama, Stefano Roscini (both Italy)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Benetton Treviso to win: 4/9; Draw: 20/1; Connacht to win: 7/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Eric Elwood (Connacht) – “The challenge this year now is can we do it again? Can we back it up again? Fifteen new players and that is their challenge.
“We do not want to take step back and it starts against Treviso on Saturday. That’s the statement we need to make.
“Treviso are a very strong outfit at home. They are confrontational and direct, their set piece is strong, they love to maul, have very big ball carriers – that is the first threat we have to deal with.
“It is important we play a tactical kicking game and our discipline has to be at our best because in Tobias Botes they have an excellent goal kicker.
“The key for us is the physicality. We have to match the physicality because we know from last season we had two boys with broken cheekbones from that match, and there is also the heat factor.
“We were disappointed with the (pre-season) results, but I believe we got a lot out of them in terms of our competitiveness, intensity, the way we applied ourselves, and the pace of the game. We are looking now to take that forward to Treviso.”
Franco Smith (Benetton Treviso) – “I’m really happy because the lads have been able to work well for a couple of months, perfecting moves and different plays. Even the new arrivals have been able to adapt quickly.
“Our objective is continuity from last season. We have had one year now (in the league) and have learned a great deal.
“We gained a lot of respect last season and it’s a pleasure to know that our qualities have been recognised.
“Even Joe Schmidt, the coach of the European champions Leinster, said we were the team that showed the most passion in last season’s league.
“It will be a new challenge for us now and we are starting again from scratch. Connacht have got a lot of new players and the coaches will have been working hard over the summer.”
Pre-Match Multimedia Links –
Duffy Leads ‘A Very Competitive’ Connacht Squad
Elwood Looks For Strong Start From Connacht
RECENT LEAGUE MEETINGS:
Saturday, October 30, 2010 – Benetton Treviso 24 Connacht 17, Stadio di Monigo
Saturday, March 4, 2011 – Connacht 31 Benetton Treviso 25, the Sportsground
MATCH FACTS:
– Benetton Treviso won two of their last three matches last season, and are looking for a third successive home victory in this RaboDirect PRO12 fixture
– Treviso beat three of the four Irish provinces at home last season (Ulster being the exception)
– Connacht have won their opening encounter in eight of the past ten seasons. The westerners ended their last campaign with three successive defeats but still recorded their best finish (ninth) since the 2003/04 season
– Connacht’s last seven encounters with Italian opponents in all competitions have all been won by the home side on the day
– Each side won its respective home game when Treviso and Connacht met last season, their first two meetings in any competition