Connacht are a squad in the middle of a rebuilding process. After a mixed season last year, the team has lost some of their more experienced players to retirement and foreign clubs.

Andy Friend’s team finished second behind Munster in the Pro 14 Conference B table last year but they only managed to win half of their 16 group matches.

Their last competitive match was a strong 26-19 victory at home over Ospreys in the Rainbow Cup.

Connacht have been known to cause major upsets in recent years but Jarrad Butler captaining the team will this season be one of them.

Latest transfer news

Players In

Leva Fifita – Lock, 31y/o, France

Shayne Bolton – Centre, 21y/o, South Africa

Mack Hansen – Fullback, 23y/o, Australia

Greg McGrath – Prop, 24y/o, Ireland

Sam Illo – Prop, 20y/o, Ireland

Players Out

Conor Kenny – Prop, 24y/o, Ireland – to Newcastle

Paddy McAllister – Hooker, 31y/0, Ireland – Retirement

Quinn Roux – Lock, 30y/o, South Africa – to Toulon

Sean O’Brien – Back row, 26y/o, Ireland – Retirement

Cillian Gallagher – Back row, 23y/o, Ireland – Retirement

Stephen Kerins – Scrum half, 25y/o, Ireland – Loaned to Bristol

Conor Dean – Fly half, 23y/o, Ireland

Sean O’Brien – Centre, 23y/o, Ireland – to Exeter

Stephen Fitzgerald – Fullback, 25y/o, Ireland – Retirement

Colm De Buitlear – Centre, 23y/o, Ireland

CLICK FOR FULL CONNACHT SQUAD

Betting

Connacht are the lowest rated side in the Champions Cup with odds of 250/1 of winning it this year.

Predicted finishing position

Connacht’s second place finish in the Pro 14 last year is a sign of good things for the province.

It is very unlikely that we will see them in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup this year but expect a top three finish in their Pro 14 Conference group.

@bundeeaki12 shouting instructions to the Connacht team pic.twitter.com/AP6LtkiRMZ

— Joe Naughton (@JosephNaughton4) October 3, 2020

Fixtures

R1 – Friday, September 24

Cardiff v Connacht | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC Wales, TG4, Premier Sports

R2 – Friday, October 1

Connacht v Vodacom Bulls | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | TG4, Super Sport, Premier Sports

Saturday, October 9

Connacht v Dragons | 17:15 UK / 18:15 ITA & SA | TG4, S4C, Premier Sports

Saturday, October 16

Munster v Connacht | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | RTÉ, Premier Sports

Saturday, October 23

Connacht v Ulster | 17:15 UK / 18:15 ITA & SA | TG4, Premier Sports

R6 – Friday, November 26

Connacht v Ospreys | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA/ 21:35 SA | RTE, BBC Wales, Premier Sports

R7 – Friday, December 3

Leinster v Connacht | 19:45 UK / 20:45 ITA / 21:45 SA | TG4, Premier Sports

Sunday, December 26

Ulster v Connacht | 17:15 UK / 18:15 ITA / 19:15 SA | BBC NI, TG4, Premier Sports

R9 – Saturday, January 1

Connacht v Munster | 17:15 UK / 18:15 ITA / 19:15 SA | TG4, Premier Sports

R10 Saturday, January 8

Connacht v DHL Stormers | 17:00 UK / 18:00 ITA /19:00 SA | RTE, Super Sport, Premier Sports

R11 – Weekend of Jan 28/29/30

Connacht v Glasgow Warriors

R12 – Weekend of Feb 18/19/20

Scarlets v Connacht

R13 – Weekend of Mar 4/5/6

Edinburgh v Connacht

R14 – Weekend of March 25/26/27

Connacht v Leinster

R15 – Weekend of April 1/2/3

Benetton v Connacht

R16 – Weekend of April 22/23/24

Emirates Lions v Connacht

R17 – Weekend of April 29/30 and May 1

Cell C Sharks v Connacht

R18 – Weekend of May 20/21/22

Connacht v Zebre

The post Connacht Rugby United Rugby Championship & Champions Cup – Season Preview, Squad & Fixtures appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Below is everything you need to know ahead of Ulster rugby’s upcoming 2021/22 season at home and in Europe

Ulster were one of the unluckiest teams in Europe last year. Dan McFarland finished second to Leinster in their Pro14 Conference group only from bonus points, managing 16 wins.

The same spark couldn’t be found in the Champions Cup, losing their two matches in the shortened year to finish outside the qualification places.

The club has been very unproductive in the market this summer so captain Iain Henderson will be seeing a lot of the same faces in training this year.

Latest transfer news

Players In

None

Players Out

Kyle McCall – Prop, 29y/o, Ireland

Adam McBurney – Hooker, 24y/o, Ireland

Alby Matthewson – Scrumhalf, 35y/o, Australia

Matt Faddes – Centre, 29y/o, Australia – to Otago

Louis Ludik – Fullback, 34y/o, South Africa – Retirement

Callum Reid – Prop, 22y/o, Ireland – Loan to Munster

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ULSTER SQUAD

'𝙈𝙀𝙀𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝘽𝙔'

New Zealand-born, Craig Newby has recently joined Ulster Rugby as the new Skills Coach

Head over to URTV to find out all about 'the Newby' https://t.co/BR0BjTPs7P pic.twitter.com/8qUyGox2Je

— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) July 31, 2021

Betting

Ulster have odds of 40/1 to win the Champions Cup this year.

Predicted finishing position

The lack of change in the squad could be their downfall this year as the same side was unable to success domestically or in Europe last year.

They will be happy to sneak into a semi-final in the Pro14 this year. For the Champions Cup, it will be a major success if they finish top eight and make it into the knockout rounds but that is unlikely.

Fixtures

Rugby Championship / Pro16 will be announced in mid-August and the Champions Cup will be announced the following week.

The post Ulster Rugby Championship & Champions Cup – Season Preview, Squad & Fixtures appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The draw will take place at 9 pm on Wednesday, July 21st and is staged in Lausanne, Switzerland.

It will be streamed live on HeinekenChampionsCup.com and will include the winners of the three domestic leagues involved in the competition – Top 14 and Champions Cup holders Stade Toulousain, Gallagher Premiership winners Harlequins and Pro14 winners Leinster.

The draw will consist of eight teams from the three leagues mentioned above, as it did last season.

The teams who have qualified from the three leagues will be listed from one to eight for the draw, with number one being the champions.

The clubs will first be placed into four tiers based on their rankings, before being drawn into two pools of 12 – Pool A and Pool B.

Clubs from the same league in the same tier will not be drawn into the same pool.

Tier 1 will have numbers one and two on the qualifiers in it with Tier 2 having numbers three and four.

Tier 3 will have numbers five and six while Tier 4 will have numbers seven and eight.

The Tier 1 and the Tier 4 clubs which have been drawn in the same pool, but which are not in the same league, will play one another home and away during the pool stage.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 sides that are in the same pool but not from the same domestic league will do the same.

Once the draw is concluded, clubs will know their pool stage opponents and EPCR will begin work on the fixture schedule with an announcement of exact dates, venues, kick-off times and TV coverage following as soon as practicable.

The 2021/22 tournament will be played over nine weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December when Stade Toulousain begin the defence of their title.

The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage which will consist of a Round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final in Marseille on 28 May 2022.

2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup qualifiers

Gallagher Premiership: 1 Harlequins, 2 Exeter Chiefs, 3 Bristol Bears, 4 Sale Sharks, 5 Northampton Saints, 6 Leicester Tigers, 7 Bath Rugby, 8 Wasps
Guinness PRO14: 1 Leinster Rugby, 2 Munster Rugby, 3 Ulster Rugby, 4 Connacht Rugby, 5 Scarlets, 6 Ospreys, 7 Cardiff Rugby, 8 Glasgow Warriors
TOP 14: 1 Stade Toulousain, 2 Stade Rochelais, 3 Racing 92, 4 Union Bordeaux-Bègles, 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne, 6 Stade Français Paris, 7 Castres Olympique, 8 Montpellier Hérault Rugby

Pool Draw tiers

Tier 1: Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leinster Rugby, Munster Rugby, Stade Toulousain, Stade Rochelais
Tier 2: Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks, Ulster Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Racing 92, Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Tier 3: Northampton Saints, Leicester Tigers, Scarlets, Ospreys, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Stade Français Paris
Tier 4: Bath Rugby, Wasps, Cardiff Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Castres Olympique, Montpellier Hérault Rugby

The post Champions Cup 2021/22 Pool Draw Date Announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Europe’s elite club rugby tournament is set to return with a highly competitive schedule of 71 matches for the upcoming season.

The 2021/22 Champions Cup season will begin in December when Stade Toulousain begin the defence of their title.

The competition will once again be competed for by 24 clubs across Europe’s top three leagues – the Pro14 (now United Rugby Championship), the Premiership and the Top 14.

Each league will be represented by eight teams who have qualified based on their position in the 20/21 league tables.

The clubs will be divided into two pools of 12 – Pool A and Pool B – using a draw and the tournament will be played over nine weekends with four of those rounds of matches in the pool stages.

The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the tournament’s knockout stage, consisting of a Round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final.

The final will be held at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on May 28th, 2022.

The draw for the pools will be carried out the same way as last season’s draw with the 24 clubs separated into four tiers based on their 20/21 league position.

Clubs from the same league in the same tier will not be drawn into the same pool.

The number one and two ranked clubs from each league will be in Tier 1, the number three and four ranked clubs will make up Tier 2, the number five and six ranked clubs will be in Tier 3, and the number seven and eight ranked clubs will occupy Tier 4.

The Tier 1 and Tier 4 clubs which have been drawn into the same pool but are not from the same league will play one another on a home and away basis during the pool stage.

The same process will occur for Tier 2 and Tier 3 clubs that are drawn into the same pool but are not from the same league.

The pool draw will be live-streamed on HeinekenChampionsCup.com and the date of the event and further details will be communicated shortly.

As previously announced, EPCR is finalising a new shareholder agreement and discussions to finalise the Challenge Cup format and future Champions Cup and Challenge Cup seasons.

These future plans include the South African URC sides.

2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup qualifiers

Premiership: 1. Harlequins, 2. Exeter Chiefs, 3. Bristol Bears, 4. Sale Sharks, 5. Northampton Saints, 6. Leicester Tigers, 7. Bath Rugby, 8. Wasps

Pro14: 1. Leinster Rugby, 2. Munster Rugby, 3. Ulster Rugby, 4. Connacht Rugby, 5. Scarlets, 6. Ospreys, 7. Cardiff Blues, 8. Glasgow Warriors

Top 14: 1. Stade Toulousain, 2. Stade Rochelais, 3. Racing 92, 4. Union Bordeaux-Begles, 5. ASM Clermont Auvergne, 6. Stade Francais Paris, 7. Castres Olympique, 8. Montpellier Herault Rugby

2021/22 Key Dates

Round One – 10/11/12 December

Round Two – 17/18/19 December

Round Three – 14/15/16 January 2022

Round Four – 21/22/23 January 2022

Round of 16 (1st leg) – 8/9/10 April 2022

Round of 16 (2nd leg) – 15/16/17 April 2022

Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May 2022

Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May 2022

Challenge Cup Final – Friday 27 May 2022; Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Champions Cup Final – Saturday 28 May 2022; Stade Velodrome, Marseille

The post Heineken Champions Cup Format and Qualifiers Announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

24 clubs, including eight each across the Top 14, Gallagher Premiership and Pro 14, will compete in this season’s instalment.

All four Irish provinces will begin their 2021/22 seasons in the Champions Cup.

The sides are ranked as the top four sides from the Pro 14 as the qualification is based on the 2020/21 Pro 14 season.

The 2020/21 Pro 14 Rainbow Cup standings do not affect the European qualification process.

The competition will once again begin with four rounds of the pool stage.

The format will likely be the same as last season’s controversial setup which had two pools of 12 with teams facing off against two sides from other leagues.

These teams are expected to face each other twice and the top eight in each pool will progress to the round of 16.

The round of 16 will be a two-legged round and will take place over two weekends.

However, the quarter-finals and semi-finals will remain as a one-and-done fixture.

Both finals will be held in Marseille’s Stade Velodrome in the south of France.

The 2020/21 finals were originally scheduled to be held at the venue.

2021/22 EPCR Weekends

Round 1 – 10/11/12 December

Round 2 – 17/18/19 December

Round 3 – 14/15/16 January 2022

Round 4 – 21/22/23 January 2022

Round of 16 (first leg) – 8/9/10 April 2022

Round of 16 (second leg) – 15/16/17 April 2022

Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May 2022

Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May 2022

Challenge Cup Final – 27 May 2022

Champions Cup Final – 28 May 2022

The post Champions Cup 2021/22 Schedule Released appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Coombes is the youngest-ever recipient of the award at 23 years and 184 days after setting a club record for most tries in a season (15).

This includes four in his final outing of the season against Zebre.

The Skibbereen star averaged a try every 87 minutes in his 22 appearances this season, 17 of which were starts.

Coombes was devastating in attack with powerful ball-carrying but was equally effective in defence.

Often, he was Munster’s standout player in both aspects of the game with his work at the breakdown being unrivalled.

The future looks bright for the new Munster Men’s Player of the Year as he is set to earn his first Irish cap this summer.

Dorothy Wall – Munster Women’s Player of the Year

#WomensSixNations

Test try #⃣2⃣ in green for Dorothy Wall! #ShoulderToShoulder #IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/JPbKvfrzu5

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) April 26, 2021

Dorothy Wall was the winner of the Munster Women’s Player of the Year award after her terrific season for the province.

The Munster back-rower, like her male counterpart, is a relentless defensive presence for the Red Army and is a fantastic ball-carrier too.

The Tipperary Titan starred in the interprovincial championship for the province and is a leader on the pitch.

Her performances for Adam Grigg’s Ireland side were factored into the decision to award her with the accolade due to government restrictions and limited activity across domestic rugby.

With only seven Ireland caps to her name at the moment, it is only a matter of time before that number skyrockets for the 21-year-old.

Craig Casey – Young Player of the Year

Craig Casey stood out alongside Gavin Coombes as one of the mens’ best players of the season.

The 22-year-old produced some spectacular performances in his 19 appearances and led by example in his 12 starts.

His three Player of the Match awards reflects this.

Casey kept the Munster attack ticking and manufactured a high-tempo style that led Munster to the Pro 14 final.

Casey made his Ireland debut in the Six Nations against Italy after his impressive club-level performances.

The Shannon RFC and Ardscoil Rís product will earn more caps this summer during the Vodafone Summer Series.

Ben Healy – John McCarthy Award for Greencore Academy Player of the Year

Ben Healy excelled in his second season as part of Munster’s Greencore Academy, earning 17 appearances for the senior side.

His season-opening 50-metre winner at Parc y Scarlets set the tone for an impressive season for the young fly-half.

His ability to kick from distance continued to stand out as an important asset for the province throughout the season.

The 21-year-old got his first senior contract in March after a stellar season and will be part of the senior squad next season.

The post Gavin Coombes Wins Munster Men’s Player of the Year Award appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Rainbow Cup, Round 3 – Thomond Park, Friday 14th May 2021

Connacht dug out a gritty win in torrential conditions against a strongly fancied Munster side in Thomond Park. It was a much-improved performance from Andy Friend’s side from last Saturday’s capitulation against Leinster at home. For Johann van Graan’s Munster side it’s a serious setback to their Rainbow Cup ambitions after wins over Leinster and Ulster in the first two rounds.

Pre-game

The announcement earlier today that the inaugural Rainbow Cup will now culminate in a ‘North v South’ final on June 19th has added a layer to intrigue to this previously unheralded competition. Munster’s ambitions in this competition have been made clear from their opening team selection against Leinster. They are anxious to stop the now decade-long trophy drought. However, Connacht also had a point to prove after shipping fifty points against Leinster last time out.

Match Report

Conor Fitzgerald got the scoring underway for the visitors with a penalty after four minutes. It didn’t take Munster long to respond and after a series of pick and go drives James Cronin crashed over. Ben Healy added the extras. Munster were massive favorites with the bookies pre-game and the apparent ease of the score made one fear the worst for Connacht. But Andy Friend’s side weren’t working off the same script. Immediately from the restart, the underdogs hit back with a try in the corner for Sammy Arnold who beat Craig Casey in the air after Billy Holland had fumbled the kickoff. Arnold then raced clear to score. Conor Fitzgerald nailed the conversion from under the East stand. 

After a frantic opening ten minutes, the game calmed down somewhat after that. A knock to Craig Casey shortly after saw an early introduction for Conor Murray for the duration of the HIA. The rain that had been threatening all day arrived after 15 minutes making the ball-handling trickier.

Munster’s  Shane Daly was given a yellow card on 22 minutes for a deliberate knock-on. Connacht made the extra man count with a superb try from Conor Fitzgerald. The out-half took a superb line to cut open the Munster rearguard, when perhaps they expected a pass outside. Fitzgerald then converted his own score and Connacht led by ten just before the half-hour mark. 

Munster found a way back into the game through a familiar route. The Connacht defense was powerless to stop a driving maul off the back of a lineout. Hooker Rhys Marshall was the man to touch it down. Ben Healy added the conversion to cut the gap back to three points. 

Half-time: Munster 14 Connacht 17

Connacht’s first attack of the second half yielded their third try of the game. A kick ahead was gathered by Kieran Marmion who raced in for the score. The conversion stretched the westerners’ lead out to ten. 

Munster thought they had reduced the deficit five minutes later. This time Peter O’Mahony crashed over, however, after consulting Joy Neville the TMO, the score was chalked off due to O’Donoghue holding back Abraham Papali’i in the build-up. 

Munster unloaded the cavalry off the bench in the second half with Tadhg Beirne, Murray, Carbery and Earls all entering the fray as the home side chased the game.

Healy did reduce the arrears with a penalty from near halfway on 51 minutes. Munster showed their pragmatic nature by opting to take the three points on offer from another penalty with ten minutes to go. Joey Carbery, fresh off the bench defied the tricky underfoot conditions to nail his kick from the ten-meter line. 

Munster believed they had hit the front with ten minutes to go. A superb cross-field kick sent Andrew Conway scampering over in the corner. However, there was another TMO check on this score. Damien de Allende was shown to have knocked on in the build-up and once again the score was chalked off. 

Munster pushed for the Connacht line with the last play of the game. Daniel Jones’ full-time whistle sounded after Stephen Archer knock-on. Connacht’s celebrations were cut short when a captain’s challenge was called by Peter O’Mahoney. This was quashed when a review showed the ball went forward off the back of Archer’s hand rather than a boot. With that, the final whistle sounded and Connacht had their first win over Munster in seven meetings and only their second of the professional era at Thomond.

Full-Time: Munster 20 Connacht 24

Teams:

Munster: 15. Matt Gallagher; 14.Andrew Conway, 13.Dan Goggin, 12.Damian de Allende, 11.Shane Daly; 10.Ben Healy, 9.Craig Casey; 1.James Cronin, 2.Rhys Marshall, 3.John Ryan; 4.Jean Kleyn, 5.Billy Holland; 6.Jack O’Donoghue, 7.Peter O’Mahony (C), 8.CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell (for Marshall 48’), Dave Kilcoyne (for Cronin 58’), Stephen Archer (for Ryan 58’), Tadhg Beirne (for Holland 52’), Fineen Wycherley (for Kleyn 78’), Conor Murray (for Casey HIA 13-27’& 52’), Joey Carbery (for Healy 62’), Keith Earls (for Gallagher 69’).

Connacht: 15. John Porch, 14. Sammy Arnold, 13. Sean O’Brien, 12. Tom Daly, 11. Alex Wootton, 10. Conor Fitzgerald, 9. Kieran Marmion, 1. Paddy McAllister, 2. Shane Delahunt, 3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy, 4. Niall Murray, 5. Ultan Dillane, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Conor Oliver, 8. Abraham Papali’i.

Replacements: 16. Dave Heffernan (for Delahunt 57’), 17. Denis Buckley (for McAllister 10-18 HIA &40’), 18. Finlay Bealham (for Robertson-McCoy 39’.), 19. Eoghan Masterson (for Papali’i 69’), 20. Sean Masterson (for Oliver 46’), 21. Caolin Blade (for Marmion 65’), 22. Jack Carty (for Fitzgerald 54’), 23. Peter Sullivan (for Arnold 69’).

Referee: Daniel Jones.

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Guinness PRO14, Rainbow Cup, Round 3

Thomond Park, Limerick @6pm, Friday 14th May 2021

Munster continue their decade-long search for silverware in their third inter-provincial derby fixture of the Rainbow Cup. After wins over both Leinster and Ulster, the southern province are the bookie’s favourites to lift the inaugural trophy.  Last week the home side physically bossed Ulster in a 38-10 win. Expect more of the same from Johann van Graan’s men in this encounter. 

Munster already had two tries on the board before Ulster’s Will Addison was red-carded just prior to the interval for making contact with Rory Scannell’s head. Mike Haely’s try after that incident saw Van Graan’s men take a 19-3 lead into the break. The second half saw the homeside outscore the visitors by three tries to one. Mike Haely was particularly impressive in attack. However, for me, the game was won due to Munster’s aggressive work at the breakdown. Gavin Coombes’ display earmarked him as a real option to replace the departing CJ Stander on a permanent basis. 

For Connacht, a heavy home defeat to Leinster came after an impressive start. Andy Friend’s men raced into a 16-0 lead in the opening fifteen minutes. However, after a bright start, their defensive frailties promptly reemerged.  Leinster ran in three tries in an eight-minute spell and had racked up a half-century of points by the final whistle. 

Connacht were dealt another blow during the week when it was announced that Quinn Roux would be departing the province at the end of the season. After seven years at the club, the 30-year-old South African born Irish international has turned down the offer of a new contract with the province. He is unlikely to feature for Connacht again due to a shoulder injury. His last appearance for the westerners came in January’s 10-16 defeat to Munster at the Sportsground.

TEAMS

Johann van Graan has gone for a mix of youth and experience in this week’s team selection. The half-back pairing of Ben Healy and Craig Casey are given an opportunity to impress. Conor Murray is set to make his 150th Munster appearance off the bench. Also, expect Joey Carbery to feature for the last twenty minutes or so. Munster look particularly strong in the back row where the Gavin Coombes relocates to the no.6 slot and CJ Stander comes in at no.8. Peter O’Mahony captains the side from his familiar no.7 slot. 

Andy Friend has made nine changes from the side that started against Leinster last week. There’s a whole new front row of Paddy McAllister, Shane Delahunt and Dominic Robertson McCoy. Ultan Dillane comes back in after missing last week’s game with a knock. Club Captain Jarrad Butler is ruled out after being forced off due to a HIA last week. One feels that Connacht will need to get the best out of Abraham Papali’i to stand any chance against the imposing Munster back row. 

Munster

15. Matt Gallagher; 14.Andrew Conway, 13.Dan Goggin, 12.Damian de Allende, 11.Shane Daly; 10.Ben Healy, 9.Craig Casey; 1.James Cronin, 2.Rhys Marshall, 3.John Ryan; 4.Jean Kleyn, 5.Billy Holland; 6.Gavin Coombes, 7.Peter O’Mahony (C), 8.CJ Stander.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Stephen Archer, Tadhg Beirne, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Joey Carbery, Keith Earls.

Connacht

15. John Porch (38),14. Sammy Arnold (13), 13. Sean O’Brien (Acad) (9) ,12. Tom Daly (46) ©, 11. Alex Wootton (19), 10. Conor Fitzgerald (34), 9. Kieran Marmion (184), 1. Paddy McAllister (16), 2. Shane Delahunt (97), 3. Dominic Robertson-McCoy (65), 4. Niall Murray (15), 5. Ultan Dillane (111), 6. Cian Prendergast (7), 7. Conor Oliver (19), 8. Abraham Papali’i (12)

Replacements: 16. Dave Heffernan (142),17. Denis Buckley (198),18. Finlay Bealham (157),19. Eoghan Masterson (109),20. Sean Masterson (11),21. Caolin Blade (129),22. Jack Carty (156),23. Peter Sullivan (14).

BETTING ADVICE

Munster are short-priced favorites for this one. Paddy Power has set the spread at +17 points for this one. Keep an eye on the weather as there are showers forecast for the evening, but if the rain holds off it could suit a high-scoring game.

The post Rainbow Cup: Munster v Connacht appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Connacht 32 Cardiff 17

The Sportsground, Galway @ 7:35pm

Referee: Andrew Brace (IFRU)

A first-half brace of tries from Alex Wootton sent Connacht well on their way to their first home win since early December. The home side had been struggling to find their rhythm prior to his first searing score. However, after that they never looked back. He added a second three minutes later as a shellshocked Cardiff side went into the the dressing room at half time wondering how they were suddenly ten points in arrears. Cardiff did cut that gap to three points just after the hour mark. However, an immediate reposte from captain Jarrad Butler dispelled any notions the visitors had of a comeback. Abraham Papali’i bonus point try near the death was the icing on the cake for Andy Friend’s men.

Pre-match news

Dai Young was forced into late changes to his Cardiff side. 18-year-old Mason Grady had been named to make his first start for the club in yesterday’s team announcement. However, an uncertain COVID test return meant that both Grady and Ben Thomas were unable to travel. Harri Millard came in to the staring line-up, while Max Llewellyn and Dan Fish joined the replacements.

Connacht won the toss and chose to play from the college road end, towards the Bohermore end in the first-half. The strong southerly breeze was coming across the pitch and not particularly favouring either side.

Early action

Cardiff drove over for the games first try on 11 minutes. Rhys Carre was on the end of drive off the back of line out. Jason Tovey added the extras. Connacht responded four minutes later with three points from Jack Carty from an offside penalty.  The gap was reduced to a single point on 22 minutes, when Carty sent over a penalty from 18 yards straight in front of the posts. 

Just before the half hour Jason Tovey re-established a four point lead for the Blues after Connacht were pinged for not rolling away. 

Four minutes before the break Alex Wootton lit up the game. He found a gap in midfield after Ultan Dillane had made a powerful initial break. Wootton turned on the afterburners to carve trough the Cardiff reargaurd. He took an arcing run past the cover to speed in untouched for his ninth try of the season. Carty added a fine conversion from the lefthand side. 

Wotton repeated the trick just three minutes later. This time on the opposite side of the field. Jack Carty cleverly fed Wootton and once again he eased tru a gap to race clear over the cover from just outside the Cardiff 22. The conversion from Carty gave Andy Friend’s side a ten point lead at the interval.

Half-time: Connacht 20 Cardiff 10. 

Jason Tovey saw his penalty rebound off the post six minutes into the second-half. Cardiff had been awarded that after Bundee Aki was adjudged to be off his feet at the breakdown. Cardiff did add to their tally on 63 minutes when after a slick looped move off a line-out they recycled the ball from close in a mauled over for the score. Dan Fish who replaced Tovey five minutes earlier added the conversion to bring Cardiff back within three. 

Connacht responded to the Cardiff score within three minutes. A maul off a five yard lineout saw captain Jarrad Butler drive over. Carty failed to add the extra’s into the teeth of the wind. Substitute Abraham Papali’i rounded off a great night for the Homeside when he powered over for the bonus point score. Which came off a 5m scrum that was awarded when Reynold Lee-Lo carried the ball over his own line as he slid to gather a kick downfield from Connacht’s Tom Daly.  Carty’s conversion brought his personal tally to 12 points for the night.  

Pro14 standings

Munster still lead the way in Conference B. Their win away to fifth placed Edinburgh sees them top the table on 46 points. Connacht consolidate second place in the group as they move up to 37 points, while Scarlets leapfrog their Welsh neighbours Cardiff and climb to third after their 41-17 win over Treviso earlier today. 

Teams

Connacht: 15. John Porch, 14. Alex Wootton, 13. Tom Daly, 12. Bundee Aki, 11. Matt Healy, 10. Jack Carty, 9. Caolin Blade, 1. Jordan Duggan, 2. Dave Heffernan, 3. Finlay Bealham, 4. Ultan Dillane, 5. Gavin Thornbury, 6. Eoghan Masterson, 7. Jarrad Butler, 8. Paul Boyle. Replacements: Shane Delahunt for Heffernan 57’, Denis Buckley for Duggan 47’, Jack Angier for Bealham 57’, Oisin Dowling for Thornbury 47’, Abraham Papali’i for Boyle 72’, Kieran Marmion for Blade 57’, Sean J O’Brein,  Tiernan O’Halloran for Porch 65’. 

Cardiff: 15. Matthew Morgan, 14.Owen Lane, 13. Harri Millard, 12. Reynold Lee-Lo, 11. Aled Summerhill, 10. Jason Tovey, 9. Lloyd Williams, 1. Rhys Carre, 2. Liam Belcher, 3. Dimitri Arhip, 4. Seb Davies, 5. Rory Thornton, 6. Shane Lewis-Hughes, 7. Ellis Jenkins, 8.Josh Turnbull. Replacements: Kirby Myhill for Belcher 55’, Corey Domachowski for Carre 55’, Kieron Assiratti for Arhip 58’, Ben Murphy for Davies 65’, Gwilym Bradley, Jamie Hill, Max Llewellyn for Millard 55’, Dan Fish for Tovey 58’.

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Connacht v Cardiff

Saturday, February 20th 2021

The Sportsground, Galway @ 7:35 pm

Saturday night’s game at the Sportsground sees the home side looking to rediscover their home form. After four home defeats in a row, Andy Friend’s side will be looking to consolidate second-place in Conference B against the side immediately below them in the table.

Last time out

Connacht’s away from is in stark contrast to their recent troubles at home. A bonus point 20-30 win over the Dragons saw them take 5 points from their visit to Rodney Parade. Two tries in each half from Matt Healy, Abraham Papali’i, Caolin Blade and Tom Daly highlighted Connacht’s undoubted attacking threat. However, the concession of a hat-trick of tries to Dragons hooker Richard Hibbard will be a cause of concern for the Connacht defence. All three tries were a carbon copy of each other. For each of the scores, the Dragons set up a driving maul off a lineout and powered over. The legalities of the attacking side’s bind may have been questionable, but it was effective and the ease with which the Connacht defence was driven back will be of huge concern to the coaching staff.

Dai Young’s Cardiff enjoyed a narrow 10-13 win away to Scarlets last time out. However, that game was played on January 22nd, so this will be their first game in almost a month. They are likely to be without their contingent of Welsh national team players. This includes the impressive Willis Halaholo. The centre who has featured 76 times for the blues signed a new contract with the club yesterday.

Pro14 standings

Despite the probable changes in personnel due to Six Nations action, this is an important game for both coaches. It’s second v third in Conference B. Munster are on top of the pile after 11 rounds on 42 points, with Connacht (32 points) looking to close the gap. Both sides have a game in hand over third-placed Cardiff (26), while Scarlets have a return of 25 points from 12 matches in the fourth European qualification spot.

For complete Conference A & B tables click here

Injury news

Connacht were dealt a blow during the week when it was announced that Quinn Roux will need shoulder surgery. The South African born, Irish international is likely to be out of action for three months. Centre Peter Robb is also set for a spell on the sidelines. He will go under the knife this week due to an abdomen injury sustained against the Dragons last time out. Sean O’Brien and Conor Dean are also ruled out after picking up knocks while in action for the Connacht Eagles against Munster ‘A’ at the Sportsground last Friday. Ben O’Donnell is continuing return to play protocols after a HIA against Dragons.

Long-term absentees Sammy Arnold, Tom Farrell, Stephen Fitzgerald and Cillian Gallagher continue to work their way back to fitness.

Previous meetings

Cardiff ran out convincing 29-7 winners when the sides last met in round 2, back in October. Their last meeting at the Sportsground was just over a year ago. Connacht blitzed their opponents 29-0 in a one-sided game on the 15th February 2020.

Team News

The reduction of Andy Farrell Irish to 24 saw Bundee Aki, Dave Heffernan and Ultan Dillane back to the Connacht training squad. Aki and Heffernan both trained on Monday and Dillane joined the group on Tuesday. As a result, all three have been named to start Saturday’s game. Dillane’s release back to Connacht is particularly timely given Quinn Roux’s long term injury. The Tralee man will partner Gavin Thornbury in the second row.

In the back row team captain, Jarrad Butler returns to the starting line-up alongside Eoghan Masterson and Paul Boyle. The pack is rounded out by a front row of Jordan Duggan, Heffernan and Finlay Bealham.

Caolin Blade and Jack Carty continue their half-back pairing. Expect Kieran Marmion to feature off the bench from about the 50-minute mark. Bundee Aki slots in alongside the in-form Tom Daly in the centre pairing. While Matt Healy. Alex Wootton and John Porch round out the backs.

Cardiff are strengthened by the release of prop Rhys Carre and scrum-half Lloyd Williams from the Welsh squad. While in the back row, Ellis Jenkins is set for his first start in over two years after a prolonged spell on the sidelines. Dai Young has handed a debut to 18-year-old centre Mason Grady.

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