200 up for Jack Carty
PETE WILKINS STRESSED during the week that Connacht’s heavy defeat to Bordeaux Begles wasn’t “embarrassing”, but he’s made nine changes to the starting XV who lost 41-5 at The Sportsground last Friday.
You’d have to say that’s pretty embarrassing for the players who were involved last week, all told.
Among the comprehensive reshuffle, Wilkins has called back into the fold Jack Carty, who will start on his 200th Connacht appearance at StoneX Stadium this afternoon.
🟢 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 🟢
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) December 15, 2023
Your Connacht 23 for tomorrow’s Champions Cup game away to @Saracens 🏉
🧢 Jack Carty 200th cap
🔙 Gavin Thornbury returns
Read more: https://t.co/ms28xyl2zm#ConnachtRugby pic.twitter.com/MG6INBwSB8
It’s a pity that the double century won’t come in Galway but Carty, 31, has been asked to take the wheel off the back of a Connacht performance in which they racked up an egregious 23 turnovers last time out.
Hopefully Connacht will mark Carty’s double century of caps either or ahead of, or after, their next home game when they welcome Munster to The Sportsground on New Years Day.
In any case, it’s hardly a surprise that Wilkins has reached for his captain following last week’s rudderless display against Bordeaux.
Wilkins has spoken about “delivering a performance befitting of our ambitions this season” and, one way or the other, we’ll find out the extent of Connacht’s ambitions in London this afternoon.
Gavin Thornbury’s return
One can only hope that Thornbury’s return provides Connacht with the boost that we hoped Bundee Aki’s would last week.
After a year out of the game, the 30-year-old Thornbury is back in the second row, partnering Darragh Murray while Niall Murray again misses out.
Connacht lost three of their own lineouts against Bordeaux and Thornbury will seek to set that record straight, at least.
The western province’s set piece will need to be spotless if they are to have a proper crack off Saracens, who to an extent crumbled at altitude last week and will be seeking a response on home soil.
Thornbury offers a dynamism in the loose that was sorely missing last weekend and he’s straight back in at the deep end this time around, starting in a grueling away game where both sides will be fighting for their lives.
Ollie Hartley v Bundee Aki
Mark McCall has made four changes to his side that lost to the Bulls on the Highveld last weekend and he can still count upon 14 internationals in his matchday 23.
🐺 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠'𝗦 𝗨𝗣 🫡
— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) December 15, 2023
4️⃣ changes from 🇿🇦.
🇦🇷 Gonzalez & Cinti both start.
🧢 Debut for @logoviimulipola.
Click below for full team news 👇#YourSaracens💫@CityIndex
Among the four introductions in inside centre Ollie Hartley, the six-foot-four and 95kg powerhouse who will test himself against World Player of the Year-nominated Bundee Aki in the midfield battle.
Hartley was never capped by England U20s but has senior-international aspirations. He has featured for Saracens in all nine games so far this season, albeit five of those appearances have come as a late substitute.
Hartley has scored tries in each of his starts, away to Exeter in Round 1 of the Premiership and away to Harlequins in Round 7.
The match-up with Aki is a baptism of fire for the Wasps product but one about which McCall and co. seem broadly confident.
Aki, meanwhile, will seek to remind everybody what he’s made of when he meets Hartley in the middle this afternoon.
