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- Finlay Bealham, Mack Hansen and Josh Murphy all return for Connacht who make nine changes from the team that lost to Leinster
- Cell C Sharks make a number of changes with Reniel Hugo leading the team from second row
The pressure is officially on for Connacht this weekend.
They host a second-string Cell C Sharks team at the Sportsgrounds on Saturday afternoon and with only seven games left in the URC calendar, every game is vital for Andy Friend and his men.
The players are not feeling the pressure, according to last week’s stand out performer Tom Farrell.
Tom stated that although they don’t feel the pressure, they are very aware of where they stand and are treating every game like a game that they must win.
We already know that Connacht like to break the season up into blocks. This last seven game block, however, will be tough with the gap in between the remaining URC games. Connacht have the URC game against the Sharks this weekend but then two weeks of Challenge Cup action. Then on the 28th they host the Lions at home, but that is followed by two weeks off due to the 6 Nations. Building momentum and getting into a rhythm won’t be easy to finish the season. That is only two URC games from the 7th of January to the 18th of February. Now this gap could work in Connacht’s favour if they lose this weekend and it gives them a chance to regroup but that’s not how Connacht should be viewing this.
Pete Wilkins spoke very positively during the week and in fairness to Pete he is always positive.
He admitted that Connacht’s slow start to the year has left them with zero wiggle room towards the end of the year in regards to wins. I also look back to certain games were a losing bonus point was available and Connacht didn’t take that opportunity, the Leinster game at home sticks out as a huge opportunity missed. Connacht’s lack of ability to get a point from games they shouldn’t ruined their season last year and it looks like history will repeat itself this year.
The Sharks have not brought the big guns to Galway. That is not to suggest they won’t be incredibly dangerous.
You will see younger players or players on the fringes who are desperate to get into the starting team. You will not see this Sharks team roll over. The forecast is giving typical Galway weather of wind and rain and South African teams don’t hide away from the fact they don’t enjoy those conditions so that should work in Connacht’s favour.
The Shark’s form is mostly strong, but they tend to have the odd, weird performance thrown in with all the good. Narrowly beating Zebre and the Dragons at the start of the year was not expected and losing 35-0 at home to Cardiff was the shock result of the year. A positive for Connacht is that those poor performances were with teams without the big guns for the Sharks so Connacht will be hoping for similar performances from them this weekend.
Connacht Team:
Connacht name a stronger team than last week against Leinster but still not exactly full strength. Finlay Bealham is a welcome return to the team and starts alongside Dennis Buckley and Shane Delahunt. An experienced front row that will look to continue a great scrummaging year.
Oisin Dowling returns to the second row alongside Darragh Murray who keeps his place after a superb game last week. With Josh Murphy moving to blindside flanker, is that the end of the Dowling at 6 experiment? I hope not, I think having hybrid players like Dowling and Murphy who can play both positions is vital for today’s game. Conor Oliver and Shamus Hurley-Langton finish out the pack. Oliver will look to be a pest at the breakdown as well as being a big influence on the defensive side of the ball. Hurley-Langton will look to carry hard I am sure and continue progressing in the Connacht jersey.
Kieran Marmion starts at nine this week over Blade. Both are fantastic nines so having both on a game day squad is a great asset for Connacht.
Jack Carty starts at ten and he will be out to impress this game. A lot of talk about his game the past few weeks so a big game on Saturday will be huge for his confidence.
With Cathal Forde the only other potential kicker starting I think its safe to assume Jack will continue with his kicking duties. With the forecasted winds for Galway this weekend kicking will not be easy.
Yet another new partnership this year in the centre as Tom Farrell is joined by Cathal Forde. Tom Farrell will look to continue his form after a very impressive display last week and Forde will look to showcase his talents. We have seen glimpses of Cathal’s talent, but it would be nice to see him kick on a bit and this weekend is a great opportunity for that.
John porch and Mack Hansen are on the wings and its great to have Mack back.
Both himself and Porch are fantastic players but Connacht will need to win the battle up front if these players are to make a big impact on the game. Last week porch spent more time defending than attacking and that is not a good use of his talents, same can be said for Mack so I hope to see Connacht’s attack continue to look good with these two players getting on a lot of ball.
Tiernan O’Halloran starts at 15 again this week. Connacht coaches continue to believe in him but we have yet to see any major reason for Tiernan keeping his place, which is sad to say.
I would love for him to prove me wrong tomorrow, but we shall see.
The front row finishers is now what I expected to see. Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan and Robertson-McCoy are the men to finish out the game in the front tow. Tierney-Martin and Duggan are young and raw but still inexperienced and Robertson-McCoy just hasn’t played a lot of rugby.
Leva Fifita and Cian Prendergast are two fantastic players to come into a physical game in crappy conditions.
Both will get stuck in, and both will carry hard. Then covering the backs, we have Blade, Conor Fitzgerald, and Byron Ralston. Blade coming on for Marmion means no drop off at 9. Conor Fitzgerald will be a nice kicking option coming off the bench and Byron Ralston has proved himself to be a player who can cover positions and do a decent job at that.
With seven games left of the URC season, Connacht have to win at least five of those games to even have a chance at top eight. Is it achievable? Of course but it has to start this weekend with a win against a weaker Sharks team. A loss this weekend and you are staring down the barrel of the season being over by January. A reality none of us want to see.
Connacht v Cell C Sharks
The Sportsground, Galway – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA / 19.15 SA
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU, 37th league game)
AR 1: Andrew Cole (IRFU) AR 2: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)
TMO: Wayne Davies (WRU)
Live on: RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery + & URC.tv
Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran; John Porch, Tom Farrell, Cathal Forde, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Denis Buckley, Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham; Oisín Dowling, Darragh Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Shamus Hurley-Langton.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Leva Fifita, Cian Prendergast, Caolin Blade, Conor Fitzgerald, Byron Ralston.
Cell C Sharks: Anthony Volmink; Yaw Penxe, Murray Koster, Rohan Janse van Rensburgh, Marnus Pogieter; Nevaldo Fleurs, Cameron Wright; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Fezo Mbatha, Carlu Sadie; Thembelani Bholi, Reniel Hugo (capt); James Venter, Henco Venter, Celimpilo Gumede.
Replacements: Kerron van Vuuren, Dian Bleuler, Khutha Mchunu, Ockie Barnard, Corne Rahl, Grant Williams, Lionel Cronje, Ethan Hooker.
Connacht Director of Rugby, Andy Friend, said: “It doesn’t need repeating how important tomorrow’s fixture is. We’ve put ourselves in a position where every point is crucial in these last seven games, so 4 or 5 points tomorrow is a must. We know what to expect from the Sharks. They bring the physicality that you come to expect from a South African side but they also like to throw the ball around, so it should be an exciting one for the fans.”
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