Elwood expects clean bill of health for weekend

RUGBY NEWS:CONNACHT COACH Eric Elwood is confident of being able to select from the same squad that overcame Glasgow for Saturday's first interprovincial against Ulster in Galway.

Despite six players currently receiving medical attention, Elwood believes they should be 100 per cent fit for Ulster’s visit.

“We have a lot of players who are battered and bruised, which is to be expected, but I would be confident all will be fine for this weekend, ” he says.

The good news for Connacht in the longer term is captain John Muldoon has been pencilled in for Connacht’s first European Challenge Cup match against Cavalieri Prato next month, while Johnny O’Connor has also returned to non-contact training.

Connacht’s victory over Glasgow – their first victory in two years away from home – has given his side a timely confidence boost ahead of this weekend’s fixture.

“I think you have to bring your A game when you play these derby matches. In the past we have not been at our best, whether it’s the pressure or expectation. I’d like to think we are in the right frame of mind for this game.

“The lads know how important it is. We are in a different position than we have been in the past and hopefully the lads will have that confidence. It’s a home game for us and we would always fancy our chances and hopefully history will change itself on Saturday.”

Elwood is expecting another physical battle with Ulster, with their new South African recruits adding impetus to their game plan.

“In fairness to Ulster, they have three out of three. They are full of beans, have made big additions to their squad and spent a bit of money and they seem to be reaping the rewards.

“They have a lot of heavy hitters, good ball carriers, and the additions of the South Africans bring a physicality to their style of play. I would expect it to be very competitive in the contact area.”

“The important thing for us is that we are doing certain things very well, but we are not getting carried away because it’s a derby match. We will be focusing on ourselves and we firmly believe if we do our work correctly in defence and attack, we will cause teams problems, and it’s the same this week. It’s another game, they are the next step, we look forward to it. It’s game number four and we are not getting carried away by it.”