The Irish provinces enter a defining week in their season which will decide their knock-out fate in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, but although they may remain in favour with Andy Farrell following their inclusion in the Irish Six Nations squad, Bundee Aki and Keith Earls are among the notable absentees in the Connacht and Munster team announcements.
Aki has been left out of Connacht’s matchday 23 away to Newcastle Falcons on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm), when a point will secure Andy Friend’s side a home tie in the last 16 and a win, especially with a bonus point, could at a push see them secure a top two finish in their pool. That said, the pitch is in poor condition and Newcastle, who have no game for the next three weeks, are at full strength.
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However, that Aki remains on the sidelines for a third Connacht game running, which given he was declared to be absolutely available for this game, raises suspicions that something is amiss.
There are rumours about of Munster being interested in acquiring Aki but that is unlikely to come to pass, not least as he is under contract with Connacht until 2024.
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It is understood that the Connacht hierarchy are unhappy with Aki’s fitness levels and, as much as anything, are keen to give Cathal Forde another start after his man of the match performance in the bonus-point win over the Sharks before impressing again last week in the rout of Brive.
Even so, this development must be disconcerting for Farrell given Robbie Henshaw has already been ruled out of Ireland’s opening game away to Wales in a fortnight’s time, albeit Stuart McCloskey and the uncapped Jamie Osborne offer alternatives.
Leinster are easily best placed, atop Pool A with maximum points, and are first into action of the Irish quartet when they entertain Racing 92 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm).
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Leo Cullen’s side know that a win of any description would secure a top seeding in the knock-out stages, and in turn ensure that they would have home advantage all the way through to the final at the Aviva Stadium on May 20th – in other words win this one and they won’t be playing outside their second home for the remainder of the tournament.
Cullen has made three changes from the impressive bonus-point win away to Northampton last week, with Rónan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy and Jack Conan all promoted to the pack, while Dan Sheehan, Ross Molony and Ryan Baird revert to the bench, where unusually Leinster have opted for a 6-2 split.
However, Racing’s hard-earned 30-29 win over Harlequins last week has changed the dynamic for this game. As could be seen by the manner they celebrated at the full-time whistle after somehow contriving to earn a match-winning penalty and hold on with just 12 players, this competition means a huge amount to the Parisians.
The three-time finalists, beaten by Leinster in the decider in Bilbao three seasons ago, stand eighth in Pool A entering the final round of pool games, but aware that Gloucester, who trail them on points difference, and Bordeaux Begles, who stand 11th three points behind the Parisians, kick off simultaneously in Bordeaux.
This means that one of those two will usurp Racing unless they extract something from the Aviva game, which to all intents and purposes may well be a victory. Racing are fighting for their lives.
Later on Saturday, Ulster host Sale at the Kingspan Stadium in what is their first home game of the pool stages after their previous home game against La Rochelle was controversially moved from Belfast to Dublin. With Ulster 10th and Sale ninth in Pool B, presuming that Clermont come up short in Cape Town against the Stormers, then this clash effectively amounts to a knock-out tie.
Sale also won the first meeting 39-0 and Ulster forwards coach Roddy Grant is expecting another tough physical battle:
“It’s going to be a big challenge. We played them away and got well beaten. We know what to expect, they are a big physical team with some great players. We need to be more physical than we were last time, start the game better, there are lots of areas that we have addressed and have looked at. We need to be on it and give ourselves the best chance.”
In the absence of Iain Henderson, who is observing the return to play protocols, lock Alan O’Connor will lead Ulster, with Wallaby Sam Carter recalled.
Academy prospect Harry Sheridan, who impressed in his senior debut off the bench in La Rochelle last weekend, is rewarded with a start at blindside flanker.
Nathan Doak retains the No 9 jersey, with Billy Burns returning at outhalf, while the fit-again McCloskey and James Hume are reunited in midfield.
John Cooney is recalled to the bench, where he is alongside six other Irish internationals in Rob Herring, Eric O’Sullivan, Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Jordi Murphy and Ian Madigan.
Munster will know where they stand when they conclude the Pool B fixtures in Toulouse on Sunday (kick-off 3.15pm Irish time), be it sixth or more likely seventh, eighth, or at a push ninth come kick-off.
John Ryan and John Hodnett, who replaces the hitherto ever-present but suspended Jack O’Donoghue, are the only two changes, while as expected Conor Murray is restored to the bench, as are Ben Healy and Malakai Fekitoa, ahead of Earls.
If Leinster win, then there is a distinct possibility that either Munster or Ulster will finish eighth in Pool B and thus face a trek to the Aviva in the last 16 a fortnight after the conclusion of the Six Nations.
