Rugby: Connacht have made three changes for their penultimate Heineken Cup pool game against Harlequins at The Stoop tomorrow afternoon (1.35pm), two of them in the backrow.
Johnny O’Connor returns to the pack after injury and will operate on the openside, with Eoin McKeon replacing the George Naoupu at number eight. Andrew Browne is the only survivor from the win over Dragons last weekend.
Matthew Jarvis will start his third Heineken Cup game, having been named in place of injured outhalf Dan Parks, while outside him Tiernan O’Halloran is on the right wing, with Fetu’u Vainikolo named at number 11.
“This weekend is a massive opportunity for us,” said coach Eric Elwood today. “We’re going to play a hugely strong team who are English champions and top of the league at the moment. They’ve blitzed everybody in our pool so far.
But the good news for us is that we’re going there with confidence after the win against Dragons last week.
“We had a great game against Quins here in October where we both tried to play ball and we’re going to have the same mind-set this week. Its Heineken Cup rugby and we want to show people what we can do. It’s going to be difficult but we know the challenge facing us and we want to play our game.”
Miah Nikora, who returned to training last week following injury, is named on the bench along with replacement winger James Loxton, who could earn his first Heineken Cup appearance on Saturday afternoon.
Winger Ugo Monye, one of nine Harlequins players named in the England Elite squads this week, will make his 200th appearance for 'Quins against Connacht.
He is one of seven changes to the side that beat London Welsh at the weekend, with Mike Brown set to start at fullback and Matt Hopper and Tom Casson resuming their partnership in the centre.
Olly Kohn is named in the secondrow, while Maurie Fa'asavalu joins Nick Easter and captain Chris Robshaw in the backrow.
Harlequins (v Connacht):M Brown; T Williams, M Hopper, T Casson, U Monye; N Evans, D Care; J Marler, J Gray, J Johnston; O Kohn, G Robson; M Fa'asavalu, C Robshaw (capt), N Easter. Replacements: R Buchanan, M Lambert, W Collier, C Matthews, T Guest, K Dickson, B Botica, G Lowe
Connacht (v Harlequins):R Henshaw; T O'Halloran, E Griffin, D McSharry, F Vainikolo; M Jarvis, K Marmion; D Buckley, J Harris-Wright, N White (capt); M Swift, M McCarthy; A Browne, J O'Connor, E McKeon. Replacements: E Reynecke, B Wilkinson, R Loughney, M Kearney, E Grace, P O'Donohoe, M Nikora, J Loxton
