Challenge Cup: Connacht v Zebre Parma,
Dexcom Stadium, Saturday 8pm,
Live on Premier Sports 1
Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Cian Prendergast have all been given this week off after the Autumn Nations Series, with the Connacht coaching team stating that the Challenge Cup would be used to blood new players, although they may also have in mind the meeting with Leinster in the United Rugby Championship in a few weeks.
Hansen and Bealham started all four of the November games, while Aki started against New Zealand, Fiji and Australia. Prendergast featured in the Fiji game off the bench.
Connacht fans may not like being unable to watch their marquee players, but they can see how coach Pete Wilkins is thinking. Connacht are one place above the cut-off line inside the top eight of the URC table with three wins from seven games.
“Plenty of teams will feel they have a great chance of winning the Challenge Cup this season and Connacht is one of those teams. We are taking this competition seriously,” said Wilkins during the week. “Selection for these games depend on the fixtures around them, but we will be going all out in these first four pool games wanting to reach the knockouts and get a home knock-out fixture.”
The meeting on Saturday, though, has a slight change of dynamic as Zebre recorded their second victory of the season against the Ospreys last weekend, while Connacht were beaten 28-14 by the Bulls. Zebre’s first win of the season was against Munster, so Connacht know that the visitors do have another gear.
Still, Connacht might fancy their chances. Going into this one a little light, they have the comfort of playing in front of a home crowd in Galway. They have also won their last three meetings in the URC against the Italians, 54-16 last season, 57-34 the season before and 22-20 before that.
Cathal Forde has also been picked out as one of the players to watch in this round of matches. The Connacht outhalf and centre is third in the most points scored so far this season in the URC (44) and along with four tries is second in the league’s try-scoring leader board.
This week Forde plays in the centre with Jack Carty and Caolin Blade, making his 200th Connacht appearance, the chosen halfbacks. There is some cutting edge wide in Connacht with Santiago Cordero on the left wing and Olympic Sevens player Chay Mullins, who signed his first professional contract in the summer before travelling to Paris, making his debut on the right wing.
“We will welcome Zebre here and respect the challenge and get stuck in,” added Wilkins. “They are coming here on the back of a really good win. They’ve got a few big wins this season which shows the progression they’ve made.”
Connacht made it to the quarter-final in last year’s Challenge Cup, while Zebre were knocked out by the Sharks in the round of 16, with the South African side going on to win the final in London against Gloucester.
CONNACHT: Shane Jennings; Chay Mullins, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Santiago Cordero; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Jordan Duggan, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jack Aungier; Darragh Murray, Oisín Dowling; Josh Murphy, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Temi Lasisi, Fiachna Barrett, David O’Connor, Oisín McCormack, Matthew Devine, Seán Naughton, Byron Ralston.
ZEBRE: Giovanni Montemauri; Filippo Bozzoni, Filippo Drago, Enrico Lucchin, Simone Gesi; Giacomo da Re, Thomas Dominguez; Paolo Buonfiglio, Luca Bigi (capt), Muhamed Hasa; Matteo Canali, Leonardo Krumov; Giacomo Milano, Bautista Stavile Bravin, Giacomo Ferrari.
Replacements: Giampietro Ribaldi, Luca Rizzoli, Matteo Nocera, Rusiate Nasove, Luca Andreani, Alessandro Fusco, Jacopo Bianchi, Scott Gregory.
Referee: Adam Jones (WRU).
Verdict: Connacht win.
