TEENAGE FULL-BACK Darragh Leader will make his first competitive start for Connacht in tomorrow’s match against the Ospreys.
The 19-year-old comes in as one of five personnel changes made by coach Eric Elwood for the RaboDirect Pro12 trip to the Liberty Stadium (kick-off 2.30pm).
Leader’s inclusion at 15 sees Robbie Henshaw push forward to midfield where he replaces the injured Eoin Griffin. Henshaw is joined by Mata Fifita in a new-look centre partnership with Dave McSharry, try-scorer against Harlequins last week, the man to miss out.
In the front row Brett Wilkinson and Jason Harris-Wright come in alongside captain Nathan White, replacing Denis Buckley and Adrian Flavin.
Mike McCarthy’s injury sees Eoin McKeon named at number eight, so George Naoupu moves into the second row where he joins Michael Swift.
Connacht come into the game hoping to bounce back from their 30-22 loss against Quins in the Heineken Cup last Saturday, but Elwood knows they face a tough task against an Ospreys side who have won three in a row in the Rabo.
“Last Saturday, we went toe-to-toe with the English champions and competed with them for the 80 minutes,” Elwood said. “We played some great rugby and we’ll be looking to do the same this weekend against the Ospreys.
“We know it’s going to be a hugely physical battle but we’re very much looking forward to the test. The goal for us is to keep improving and continue on our upward curve”
Connacht (v Dragons): Darragh Leader; Tiernan O’Halloran, Robbie Henshaw, Mata Fifita, Fetu’u Vainikolo; Dan Parks, Kieran Marmion; Brett Wilkinson, Jason Harris-Wright, Nathan White (c); Michael Swift, George Naoupu; John Muldoon, Willie Faloon, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney, Rodney Ah You, Dave Gannon, Johnny O’Connor, Dave Moore, Miah Nikora, Danie Poolman.
any mention of club players in any of this discussion or do they exist…..just wondering
@PW: They do exist, but its all for the love of the parish.
@PW: in what way should club players be included in that conversation ?
@PW: no they don’t. Club was sacrificed for county long time ago.
GPA members are doing quite well to be fair. Maybe all club Chairmen and Secretaries should go on strike, all the juvenile trainers and selectors too. There are many groups who are a lot more out of pocket than the GPA members. Of all the groups within the GAA they do quite well.
Poor Tom!
Definitely needs to be a wider debate here.. the spending on inter county teams seems totally unsustainable.. The collective bargaining agreement is an interesting proposition- in that it would improve player welfare while also managing to maintain the amateur ethos…. To me a strike with all going on in the world over last few years would seem petty, although the GPA seem to have gathered more public support than I imagined
Time the players took a real stand. I’m so tired of the fat cats in GAA treating the players like fodder. No wonder we see soccer tactics are coming into the game. The players are fed up.
@2thFairy: Soccer tactics not sure your on the correct page here ? I’ve watch a bit of soccer and I’ve never seen them handpass the ball 1 million times during a game! Stick to what you seem to know very little about GAA .
@2thFairy: Pity they don’t learn to play a bit of soccer and kick a ball instead of all that hand passing, to call the game football is comical.
GPA. Greedy Players Association