JUST HOW big is this Toulouse mountain for Connacht? Try reading the French team backwards from 23. Shaun Sowerby, Clement Poitrenaud, Lionel Beauxis, Gregory Lamboley, Jean-Baptiste Poux. Not a bad bench right there and with a starting team also festooned with international players – Maxime Medard, Vincent Clerc, Florian Fritz, Luke McAlister, Louis Picamoles, Theirry Dusautoir.
The good news for Connacht is that Jannick Jauzion is not included this weekend. Toulouse need the win to stay at the top of Pool Six, with Harlequins breathing down their neck just one point behind by virtue of a Toulouse bonus point, and with Gloucester to face in The Stoop today.
Must-win games rarely come so gift-wrapped for the home team and although Connacht can hit patches of good performance, their string of 13 successive defeats will travel with them.
Eric Elwood has made three changes, including a new half-back pairing, with Paul O’Donohoe replacing the injured Frank Murphy at scrumhalf. Murphy has had an operation on a groin and will be out for three weeks. Niall O’Connor goes into the pivotal outhalf position. In the only other change, Ray Ofisa comes in on the flank in place of Mick Kearney.
There’s plenty of zest outside O’Connor, with Kyle Tonetti, Dave McSharry and Tiernan O’Halloran. But Connacht’s issues this season will not iron out with tinkering and captain Gavin Duffy said earlier in the week the players have to respond and cannot let the slippage, which has murdered them in recent matches, continue in Toulouse. There’s no doubt observers are expecting, if not welcoming, a big score.
Realistically the home side will quietly and respectfully think to themselves a bonus-point win and the strength of their team does reflect a seriousness of intent.
It’s difficult for Elwood as he knows the teams are classes apart in terms of resources. But as Duffy also observed, Connacht have become used to playing against two other power houses in Europe, Munster and Leinster.
They are not dipping their toes in deep water for the first time.
Toulouse are a tier one Heineken Cup team, are ranked second in the competition between first-ranked Leinster and third-ranked Munster, are the 2011 French Champions and four times Heineken Cup winners. The bookies have them favourites by 27 points, massive.
Former Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp makes his return, while the French champions have also recalled former All Black McAlister to the number 10 jersey, with in-form Beauxis primed and ready on the bench. Yann David and Florian Fritz form the centre partnership.
There is a new face on the bench in 18-year-old hooker Christopher Tolofua, who comes in after a series of injuries. South African Gary Botha has been ruled out for the season with a broken right leg. Georgian hooker Akvsenti Giorgadze, called in as cover in the frontrow, has suffered a torn thigh muscle and will also miss the Gloucester game.
TOULOUSE: M Medard; V Clerc, Y David , F Fritz, T Matanavou; L McAlister, L Burgess; L Picamoles , T Dusautoir, J Bouilhou, P Albacete, Y Maestri, C Johnston, W Servat, G Steenkamp. Replacements: C Tolofua, J-Baptiste Poux, Y Montes, G Lamboley, J Doussain, L Beauxis, C Poitrenaud, S Sowerby.
CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, D McSharry, T O’Halloran; N O’Connor, P O’Donohoe; G Naoupu, R Ofisa, J Muldoon, M McCarthy, M Swift, D Rogers, A Flavin, B Wilkinson. Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, S Maguire, M Kearney, E McKeon, D Moore, M Nikora, H Fa’afili.
Referee: W Barnes (RFU).
Verdict: Home win.
REMAINING FIXTURES
Today: Toulouse v Connacht, 3.40pm. Harlequins v Gloucester, 6.0pm.
Jan 20th: Connacht v Harlequins, 8.0pm. Gloucester v Toulouse, 8.0pm.
