Connacht v Gloucester: Teams
Connacht have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday's Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester.
Last Updated: 09/12/11 1:06pm
Connacht have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday's Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester in Galway.
Mike McCarthy returns from suspension to replace the injured Michael Swift in the second row.
He will be partnered by big George Naoupu while the athletic back row of Dave Gannon, John Muldoon and Ray Ofisa will continue the hard graft of the loose forwards.
An uncompromising front row of Brett Wilkinson, Ethienne Reynecke and Ronan Loughney complete the pack.
Frank Murphy and Niall O'Connor resume their half back partnership while coach Eric Elwood shows faith in last week's backs naming an unchanged back-line with Dave McSharry and Kyle Tonetti in the centre and Mark McCrea, Tiernan O'Halloran and captain Gavin Duffy making up the back three.
Tough
There's plenty of talent waiting on the bench with Adrian Flavin, Denis Buckley and Rodney Ah You providing frontrow cover and Mick Kearney and Eoin McKeon covering the loose forwards.
Paul O'Donohoe, Matthew Jarvis and Fetu'u Vainikolo add the extra options in the backs.
Meanwhile, Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath made six changes to his starting XV from the side which lost 26-25 at Newcastle last time out.
Tighthead prop Dario Chistolini, making his first start since mid October, is one of four changes in the forwards with Jim Hamilton, Brett Deacon and Andy Hazell also returning.
The two changes in the back-line sees Charlie Sharples back on the right wing after missing out last weekend and Henry Trinder replacing Mike Tindall at outside centre.
Having lost their first two pool games in the competition, Gloucester will be looking to secure a first win to keep their tournament hopes alive but will be well aware that the Irish province will be a tough nut to crack on their own turf.
Redpath admitted to frustration in the camp at the way recent games have gone.
"A lot of our recent downfalls have been our own doing," he said.
"If you look at the Newcastle game, we made key errors in defence which cost us the game.
Driven
"We have to knuckle down and we've sat down and been honest with each other this week and agreed that we need to make improvements.
"The last seven games have been difficult and we're off to another tough place this weekend. We have to accept that, there's no hiding place," added Redpath.
And he admitted that Connacht are a side fashioned in the image of their coach.
"Eric Elwood, as a player, was dogged and in your face and Connacht are going to be exactly like that on Saturday. They'll be massively driven," explained Redpath.
"They had nine and a half thousand there for the Toulouse game which was huge for them and the crowd will be fired up again on Saturday.
"They're in the middle of a rough run, but we are too. So, we're pretty evenly matched and it'll come down to who shows the most composure on the day."
Connacht: 15 Gavin Duffy (c), 14 Mark McCrea, 13 Kyle Tonetti, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Tiernan O'Halloran, 10 Niall O'Connor, 9 Frank Murphy, 8 Ray Ofisa, 7 John Muldoon, 6 Dave Gannon, 5 George Naoupu, 4 Mike McCarthy, 3 Ronan Loughney, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Brett Wilkinson.
Replacements: 16 Adrian Flavin, 17 Denis Buckley, 18 Rodney Ah You, 19 Mick Kearney, 20 Eoin McKeon, 21 Paul O'Donohoe, 22 Matthew Jarvis, 23 Fetu'u Vainikolo.
Gloucester: 15 Olly Morgan, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, 11 James Simpson-Daniel, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Rory Lawson, 8 Luke Narraway, 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Brett Deacon, 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Peter Buxton, 3 Dario Chistolini, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Nick Wood.
Replacements: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Rupert Harden, 19 Will James, 20 Akapusi Qera, 21 Nick Runciman, 22 Tim Taylor, 23 Jonny May.
