HEAD COACH PETE Wilkins has made seven changes to a Connacht side “determined to deliver a big performance” against Benetton in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday afternoon [kick-off 1pm, TG4].
With Caolin Blade injured and JJ Hanrahan undergoing return to play protocols, Jack Carty returns to captain the side from out-half, while scrum-half Michael McDonald gets the nod alongside him.
Diarmuid Kilgallen’s start on the right wing is the only other change in the backs while in the pack, Jordan Duggan and Dave Heffernan come in to a refreshed front row, while Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle return to the back row.
Connacht will be looking to jump-start their playoff push and bounce back from last Saturday’s dismal 38-14 home defeat to a Lions side who played the vast majority of the game with 14 men.
The defeat saw Connacht — who were leapfrogged in the table by the Lions — slip back to ninth place, ahead of Benetton only by virtue of a superior points difference.
Wilkins said: “There is very little between the teams from 4th to 11th in the URC table, and one result can see any team make a big rise up the standings.
“Benetton are a team with international quality throughout their squad, and we have always found our encounters over in Treviso to be an enormous physical and mental test.
“Having been disappointed with both our performance and result last weekend, it is now about delivering the appropriate response.
“So it is a challenge that we are hugely excited about and will travel to Italy highly motivated and determined to deliver a big performance.”
Connacht (v Benetton)
- 15. Tiernan O’Halloran
- 14. Diarmuid Kilgallen
- 13. David Hawkshaw
- 12. Cathal Forde
- 11. Andrew Smith
- 10. Jack Carty (capt)
- 9. Michael McDonald
- 1. Jordan Duggan
- 2. Dave Heffernan
- 3. Jack Aungier
- 4. Niall Murray
- 5. Joe Joyce
- 6. Cian Prendergast
- 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton
- 8. Paul Boyle
Replacements:
- 16. Eoin de Buitléar
- 17. Denis Buckley
- 18. Sam Illo
- 19. Darragh Murray
- 20. Jarrad Butler
- 21. Colm Reilly
- 22. Shane Jennings
- 23. Shayne Bolton
