ON FOOT of Connacht’s 12-match losing sequence, the very notion that superstition prescribes further misfortune in Italy this afternoon will seem absurd, based on what the Irish province has had to endure in recent games; particularly in the defeats to Gloucester and Leinster.
Connacht are due a break and not the type that prematurely ended the luckless Brian Tuohy’s season last week in the Sportsground. A lengthy injury list has been an ever present concern for coach Eric Elwood from day one this season and once again he has been asked to husband dwindling playing resources carefully.
Eoin Griffin, Ronan Loughney and Johnny O’Connor are the latest to join the sizeable queue outside the treatment room but this is offset somewhat by the return of excellent young centre, Dave McSharry and the evergreen Michael Swift. Fetu’u Vainikolo gets an opportunity to prove that he can add something positive to the team while South African-born Dylan Rogers takes over at tighthead prop.
Former underage internationals Denis Buckley and Stewart Maguire provide frontrow cover alongside hooker Ethienne Reynecke. There is a better fit to the back five for this match with George Naoupu back in a more familiar role at number eight. Matthew Jarvis gets a chance at outhalf with Niall O’Connor on the bench.
Today’s remit in trying to secure a win is reasonably manageable when weighed against the opposition. Aironi are bottom of the table, having won just two games in all competitions this season. Connacht’s record of three victories is hardly a ringing endorsement of appreciably superior credentials but the Irish province has been genuinely competitive in all bar three or four games.
The trick for Elwood and his team is translating performance to the scoreboard. The Italians make a number of changes as they chase a third victory at home this season to accompany the ones over Edinburgh and Treviso.
The home side have scrumhalf Tyson Keats and his halfback partner Luciano Orquera back after a fortnight on the sidelines, although they are missing top try scorer and former Munster number eight Nick Williams.
In typical Italian fashion they will be aggressive at scrum time, look to maul strongly and be direct around the fringes. They will look to squeeze Connacht up front, until holes appear or penalties forced.
The visitors have played with plenty of width and they’ll look to continue that approach, hopefully with a little more penetration. Gavin Duffy has been outstanding and his team-mates might find it quite lucrative to trail him when in possession.
Connacht need a tangible end product to their patterns and if they can consistently achieve that this afternoon, then unlucky 13 won’t necessarily follow.
AIRONI: A Masi; G Toniolatti, R Quartaroli, G Pizarro, S Sinoti; L Orquera, T Keats; A De Marchi, R Santamaria, F Staibano, J Furno, M Bortolami (capt), N Cattina, S Favaro, J Sole. Replacements: T D’Apice, S Perugini, L Romano, Q Geldenhuys, M Bergamasco, T Tebaldi, N Olivier, A Benettin.
CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, D McSharry, T O’Halloran; M Jarvis, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, D Rogers, M Swift, M McCarthy, M Kearney, J Muldoon, G Naoupu. Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, S Maguire, E McKeon, R Ofisa, P O’Donohoe, N O’Connor, H Fa’afili.
Referee: A McMenemy (Scotland).
Verdict: Connacht to win.
