Connacht aim to keep Glasgow run going

THE MIDWEEK loan deal that takes Munster’s 26-year-old New Zealand-born prop Peter Borlase to Connacht for the remainder of the season is a reminder of the horrific injury problems that have bedevilled the western province from the outset of the current campaign.

Connacht coach Eric Elwood would be forgiven for glancing wistfully at the depth of quality that his provincial counterparts enjoy, but even they would be hard-pressed to absorb the sheer volume of injuries.

Centre Dave McSharry is the latest to head for the treatment table and while he is replaced by Henry Fa’afili in the team, it appears that the talented Eoin Griffin might finally have recovered from a hamstring problem which has proved very troublesome this season.

Former Ireland Sevens player, the 24-year-old Eoghan Grace, is named at openside flanker after Ray Ofisa succumbed to a knee injury. Grace is an excellent athlete, who was with Shannon and in the Munster academy before joining the Exeter Chiefs.

Injury curtailed his opportunities there and he elected to join Connacht last summer.

Glasgow have not won a league game in Galway for almost five years, although they did manage a 19-19 draw in March 2010. Indeed the last time the sides met at this evening’s venue the Irish province recorded a resounding 37-8 victory.

Glasgow coach Sean Lineen is well aware that Connacht are a bogey side for the visitors, their last win coming in October 2009.

“The defeat in Connacht last season was our worst performance and result of the campaign, and everyone involved this weekend is desperate to avoid coming away feeling as bad as we did that day.

“We’ve racked up a few good results in the league and were pleased with the way the team performed in beating Scarlets at Firhill, but we’re at a stage of the campaign where every performance has to be absolutely spot on.

“That’s doubly the case at a tough away venue like Connacht, where you’ve got a passionate home team and crowd against you. We’ve not done well in Galway of late, and that’s something we need to put right,” said Lineen, who makes one change from the Scarlets win with Pat MacArthur replacing Dougie Hall at hooker.

Connacht ended a 15-match losing sequence with their memorable Heineken Cup success against Harlequins last time out and they’ll be keen to make that a starting point on the road to better fortune.

CONNACHT: G Duffy (capt); F Vainikolo, K Tonetti, H Fa’afili, T O’Halloran; N O’Connor, P O’Donohoe; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Loughney, M Swift, M McCarthy, J Muldoon, E Grace, G Naoupu. Replacements: E Reynecke, D Buckley, S Maguire, D Gannon, M Kearney, D Moore, M Jarvis, E Griffin.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: P Murchie; T Seymour, T Nathan, G Morrison (capt), D Lemi; R Jackson, H Pyrgos; R Grant, P MacArthur, J Welsh, R Verbakel, T Ryder, R Harley, C Fusaro, R Wilson. Replacements: F Gillies, G Reid, G Hunter, N Campbell, D Weir, A Dunbar, C Shaw, C Forrester.

Referee: P Allan (Scotland).

Verdict: Connacht to win