Bradley's rotation policy continues

News: Connacht coach Michael Bradley's policy of rotating his squad has worked seamlessly for him so far and with that in mind, as well as the return of some injured players, he has made five changes for Saturday's Parker Pen European Challenge Cup second-leg tie away to Pau (6 p.m. Irish).

Connacht go into the match with a significant advantage following last week's 29-7 win and will travel as favourites to ensure a quarter-final place for the second year running.

One area of concern for Bradley is Pau have a record of turning around first-leg deficits, their most notable engineered last year when they lost 29-3 at Ebbw Vale. They subsequently put 64 points on their visitors in the return match in France.

Even at this mid-point stage in the season, Pau hold on to a 100 per cent record at home.

Three of the Connacht changes are in the back line. Mark McHugh, who was forced out of last week's match with a dead leg, returns to his familiar position at full back, while Ted Robinson starts on the left wing.

Eric Elwood, returns to partner Mike Walls at number 10 and in the forwards Damien Browne comes into the second row with Matt Lacey selected at openside flanker.

Paul Neville and Peter Bracken are among a number of players out through injury, while winger Wayne Munn was not considered for selection as his wife, Julie, is soon expected to give birth to the couple's second child.

The winners of this round will go on to play either French side Narbonne or London Irish at the quarter-final stage with London Irish taking a seven-point cushion with them, having beaten Narbonne 20-13 in the first leg.

Little doubt that Bradley and his squad will have enjoyed the news from London this week, where London Wasps openside flanker Johnny O'Connor, who played with Connacht last season, was selected as the English Zurich Premiership Player of the Month for December.

O'Connor (23) was also voted the man of the match for the Wasps v Saracens game on December 21st and has been spoken about as one of the success stories of the season.

Elsewhere Phil Vickery has returned to contact training in the hope of claiming a place in Gloucester's squad for Saturday's return leg of the Heineken European Cup tie with Munster at Thomond Park. The England tight-head prop has not played since the middle of December when he damaged rib cartilage against Bourgoin at Kingsholm.

Vickery was joined in yesterday's session by back-row James Forrester. The number eight has suffered left-ankle ligament problems.

Leicester centre Ollie Smith, who spent Sunday night under observation in a Belfast hospital after suffering a head injury in his side's 33-0 European Cup defeat against Ulster, remains doubtful for Saturday's return match against Ulster at Welford Road.

Smith left Ravenhill on a stretcher eight minutes into the game, but was on his feet in the changing-room after being examined by Tigers medical staff, before going to hospital as a precautionary measure. A scan subsequently revealed no major damage. Leicester also confirmed that Saturday's European Cup match is a 16,800 sell-out.

Meanwhile, an independent disciplinary committee will meet in Dublin today to hear the two citing complaints lodged with the ERC following Leinster's defeat to Sale Sharks last weekend.

Sale hooker Andy Titterell was cited by Leinster after television replays showed him stamping on Eric Miller. Sale responded by citing Leinster second row Ben Gissing, also for stamping.

CONNACHT (v Pau): M McHugh; M Mostyn, D Yapp, T Allnutt (capt), T Robinson; E Elwood, M Walls; D McFarland, B Jackman, A Clarke, D Browne, A Farley, M Swift, M Lacey, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: J Fogarty, W O'Kelly, M McCarthy, T Carter, C Keane, D Hewitt, C McPhillips.