Connacht v Leinster, The Sportsground, Saturday, 5.15pm - Live on TG4 and Sky Sports 1
In the dark days of 2003, when the IRFU’s axe hung over their professional set-up, Connacht and their supporters could never have imagined a day like this.
Nor, at innumerable junctures since, could they have imagined hosting Leinster in a top-of-the-table clash in front of an increased 7,300 capacity, not least two seasons ago when after an opening win at home to Zebre in Pat Lam's first campaign in charge, they lost eight league games in a row.
But here they stand, proudly atop the table and dining with the glitterati, on merit. Cue the Sky cameras and Nigel Owens.
Further reflecting the heightened importance of the Pro12 and this summit meeting, all but one of Connacht's five-strong Ireland contingent return to the match-day squad. Alas, Ultan Dillane is too banged up, while in addition to Finlay Bealham, the Leinster-bound Robbie Henshaw has been kept in reserve. Talk about an impact replacement straining at the leash.
Callow
With Luke McGrath at scrumhalf and Ross Molony in the secondrow, it is a somewhat callow Leinster side, but then again these things are relative.
To put this match into context, Connacht’s starting line-up has four players with international experience, with 29 Tests to their names. On the bench sit Bealham and Henshaw, who is now Connacht’s most experienced international with 20 Tests. By contrast, Leinster’s starting XV has nine internationals with 187 Test caps, but boast a whopping 362 on the bench, in the form of, amongst others, Jamie Heaslip, Seán O’Brien, Devon Toner and Mike Ross.
During the week, Pat Lam noted that Leinster have the most Test-garlanded squad in the Pro12, with Connacht the least.
Not that he was portraying Connacht in their classical role of underdogs. “I don’t see us an underdogs. I see us as a high-performing team. What I’m trying to stress is the importance of culture. It’s not about individuals.”
Amidst the sea change, even the culture clash has been flipped.
Whereas Connacht have broadened their attacking game considerably under Lam, with basic passing and skills as good as any team around, Leinster have become more functional since Joe Schmidt’s time. Hence, while Connacht are the league’s leading try scorers (49), tonight they host the league’s most parsimonious defence, Leinster having conceded just 16 tries in 17 games. Indeed, rather remarkably, Connacht have garnered seven attacking bonus points (also the most in the league) to Leinster’s four.
Yet for all their woes in Europe, what with their World Cup hangover and a brutally tough group, Leinster have re-grouped impressively in the league to win 11 of their last 13 matches. On a night when ball-carrying ballast close-in could be critical, in another break with custom even the inclement weather forecast for the weekend might actually suit the visitors more.
Galvanise
While Leinster's defeat in Glasgow last Friday kept Connacht in first place, that has not only left the westerners a more prized scalp tonight, but Glasgow's win compressed the top six and revived the Scots' playoff hopes. And as Lam has intimated, it will probably serve to galvanise Leinster.
Accordingly, he expects “a fired-up and passionate” Leinster team because of their Glasgow setback.
“Now they have another opportunity to go top of the table. Certainly everyone is desperate. That’s probably why I’ve enjoyed the last five games even more, and getting 24 out of a possible 25 points. We played teams who all desperate to get into the top four,” said Lam.
Connacht’s season is about to face what looks like its acid test so far. Granted, the sight of so many heavyweights being sprung from the bench could actually have a galvanising effect on home crowd and team alike, but the odds are that it will help push Leinster over the line.
CONNACHT: T O'Halloran; N Adeolokun, B Aki, P Robb, M Healy; AJ MacGinty, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, N White, Q Roux, A Muldowney, S O'Brien, J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt). Replacements: D Heffernan, R Loughney, F Bealham, A Browne, E McKeon, C Blade, S O'Leary, R Henshaw.
LEINSTER: I Nacewa (capt); F McFadden, G Ringrose, B Te'o, L Fitzgerald; I Madigan, L McGrath; C Healy, R Strauss, T Furlong, R Molony, H Triggs, D Ryan, J van der Flier, R Ruddock. Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Ross, D Toner, J Heaslip, E Reddan, N Reid, Z Kirchner.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).
