Connacht’s experience could be enough to see off Leinster in URC clash

URC: Connacht v Leinster, Dexcom Stadium, Friday, 7.45pm – Live TG4 and Premier Sports

Two much changed teams from last weekend for Connacht and Leinster but there is enough to pique interest from the casual to hardcore supporter. In some respects, it is a throwback to a bygone time when URC league matches were pencilled in during Test match windows.

It is a hotchpotch of new faces, former team-mates and several individual contests that will impact above and beyond the 80 minutes in Galway tonight. Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster has made a dozen changes from the Zebre win with just Finlay Bealham, Paul Boyle and Cathal Forde retained in the run-on team.

There are interesting positional tweaks, foremost among them Seán Naughton in the outhalf role with Josh Ioane at fullback in what is a role reversal based on some previous selections. Outhalves by inclination, they are accomplished footballers, so Lancaster is not taking a punt in switching up their roles.

Ioane has shown that flexibility across the centre position too, and his ability to find gaps as a running threat is a feature of his skill set. The 22-year-old Naughton will be charged with running Connacht’s attack but will have the experienced Caolin Blade to lean on.

The returning Shayne Bolton and Daniel Ryan provide the home side with pace and a cutting edge and their respective tussles with Joshua Kenny and Jordan Larmour, back for his first game of the season after a calf injury, is a popcorn watch.

John Devine has not got as many opportunities as he would like but he has packed plenty of quality into those sporadic chances and his presence allows Cathal Forde to be rehomed in his best position of inside centre, where he is likely to feature for the Mark Sexton-coached Ireland XV against Fiji A next month.

He is up against Charlie Tector (24) who has been conspicuously and consistently good at inside centre and he will link up with fellow Wexford man, Connor Fahy, who is on debut, a big moment for the former Irish 20s international.

Joey Carbery grew into last week’s win over Munster, showing flashes of his running game after the interval. Fintan Gunne returns to the nine jersey, while Todd Lawlor is at fullback, his performances this season both eye-catching and highly promising.

The age profile of the respective frontrows is at opposite ends of the age spectrum, Connacht long on experience, international and otherwise, Leinster’s populated by the new Ireland XV captain Gus McCarthy, and a couple of 21-year-olds in Alex Usanov and Niall Smyth.

Leinster will be well versed with Will Connors chop tackling style, the Kildare native having swapped provinces during the summer. Leo Cullen’s decision to pick Dan Sheehan at number eight – he played very well there – in the victory over Munster throws down a gauntlet to James Culhane, Scott Penny and captain Max Deegan, all of whom have previously worn that specific jersey.

Josh Murphy and Paul Boyle are leaders, stalwarts and lightning rods based on the way they play. Connacht’s bench – there is no shortage of quality – includes young hooker Matthew Victory who has been quietly impressive, so too scrumhalf Colm Reilly while Roscommon native Niall Murray will make his 100th appearance.

Murray told a story about being in the academy and looking at a wall that contained pictures of all the Connacht centurions. “My debut while in the academy was class but making my 100th will be so much better in front of a full, sold-out stadium. Hopefully we will get the win.”

His debut? A Champions Cup match against Gloucester. Connacht were 11 points down. He came on with nine minutes to go and helped the Irish province to an unlikely victory. “I remember Robin Copeland scored a try in the 77th minute.” He’ll be hoping that his latest milestone is an equally memorable night.

Jerry Cahir and Peter Dooley exchange colours while there should be a debut for Blackrock’s Alex Mullan, a late convert to the tighthead position.

The 21-year-old, 6ft 3in, 19-stone prop said: “I moved to prop from secondrow when I was in sixth year, so it was a quick turnaround, moving from the second row and jumping in the lineout to then packing down a scrum.” He explained that the IRFU’s scrum pathway coach Seamus Toomey helped hugely in that regard.

It is a young Leinster bench Dooley notwithstanding. Alex Soroka will play his first game of the campaign, so too scrumhalf Cormac Foley; both have been limited to AIL matches. Ciarán Mangan’s talent enables him to play across the three-quarter line.

Leinster have the capacity to score tries and several of their young players excelled on the South Africa tour, but the home side are most experienced and roared on by what looks like being close to a capacity crowd, they should squeak home.

Connacht will honour Seán Coppinger, a member of their operations team for 11 years, who sadly passed away after a short illness. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

Connacht: J Ioane; S Bolton, J Devine, C Forde, D Ryan; S Naughton, C Blade; F van Wyk, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Murphy, D O’Connor; S O’Brien, W Connors, P Boyle (capt). Replacements: M Victory, J Cahir, F Barrett, N Murray, S Hurley-Langton, C Reilly, F Treacy, S Gilbert.

Leinster: T Lawlor; J Kenny, C Fahy, C Tector, J Larmour; J Carbery, F Gunne; A Usanov, G McCarthy, N Smyth; B Deeny, A Spicer; M Deegan (capt), S Penny, J Culhane. Replacements: S Smyth, P Dooley, A Mullan, C O’Tighearnaigh, A Soroka, C Foley, C Gabriel, C Mangan.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)