CONNACHT WILL wait until midday today before naming their starting XV for tomorrow evening’s Magners League fixture with Leinster at the Galway Sportsground. Coach Michael Bradley is monitoring six players – five of whom started against Munster on Sunday – to determine if they will be fit for this rescheduled fixture.
Among those nursing injuries are captain John Muldoon (groin), centres Niva Ta’auso (knee) and Keith Matthews (knee and ankle), scrumhalf Frank Murphy (ankle), and prop Jamie Hagan (back). Liam Bibo has suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
With Connacht being forced to play three matches in a week, concluding with a visit to the Scarlets on Sunday, Bradley is managing resources on a “who’s fit” basis, while mindful of Connacht’s first one-off home semi-final in Europe.
“At this stage its a case of who is available to us,” he says. “In their own rights the Munster match on Sunday and the Leinster match tomorrow are big games for us and we will putting our best foot forward without putting ourselves under undue pressure in terms of losing people for the Amlin Cup semi-final.”
As a result, he says, the Connacht selection for the visit to Llanelli will depend on tomorrow’s evening’s result.
Connacht, with Heineken Cup promotion still alive, but with resources stretched, would have hoped to avoid this clash with Leinster until later in the season.
“It would have been our preference to have it after our semi-final on the basis of resources. Magners League were co-operating with us on that, they had agreed we could play the match post the semi-final, assuming Leinster were in agreement. But Leinster were not in agreement,” says Bradley.
Having been favourites against a weakened Munster, Connacht, who unusually had more internationals on paper in their starting XV, will revert to being under-dogs tomorrow night.
“That was a nice position to be in – the first time since I came that Connacht have been favourites going into a match against Munster, which is a nice position and an unusual one. The pack they had there was strong, and we knew if they got on top of us, or edge it a little bit, then they would be playing with front-foot ball.”
Crucial to tomorrow’s fixture will be Connacht’s response to the breakdown, he says.
“I think we probably had enough opportunities – just enough – over the full 80 minutes, especially in the last 10 minutes to pull off an unlikely victory on the basis of how we played, but Munster on the day were better. They dominated the breakdown, 22 turnovers, you lose most games if you have 22 turnovers.
“The week before against Bourgoin we were good except for a period in the second half, but Munster started off very well and put us under pressure for most of the match.
“In the latter half of the second half we started winning quick ball and that’s the key to our game plan. If we manage to do that against Leinster, it will make for an exciting game.”
Despite Sunday’s loss and this week’s hectic schedule, which includes a possible bus and ferry trip to Llanelli if flights are still unavailable, Bradley believes Connacht remain in positive mood in their chase for a Heineken Cup berth.
“We still have four options alive, so I’ll take that. With three matches to go in the Magners League and a (European) semi-final and a possible final, spirits are high. Matches are coming quick and fast and the competition is extremely tough, but it’s a great position to be in.
“The lads got over Sunday relatively quickly and we have to do that. Leinster is a good way to refocus the minds, then the Scarlets, Toulon and Ulster.”
