Challenge Cup: Montpellier v Connacht, Septeo Stadium, Sunday, 1pm Irish time – Live on Premier Sports 1
Familiar European foes Connacht and Montpellier meet for the 11th time on Sunday, Connacht with the bragging rights, having won seven of their meetings to date.
But it was the French side that came out on top when they met in the second of their pool-stage meetings in the 2019/20 Champions Cup, Connacht having won the earlier clash in Galway two months prior.
The westerners travel to what can be an intimidating venue, but Stuart Lancaster has placed his faith in a young and relatively inexperienced match day side.
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Montpellier hold the aces, sitting atop Pool 1 on maximum points while also sixth in the Top 14. In contrast, Connacht have lost four of their last five games across all competitions – their 52-0 Challenge Cup win over Black Lions the only result to buck the trend of late – dropping them to 12th in the URC standings, three points off the top eight.
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Lancaster will want to return to winning ways on Sunday, a positive result also bringing the added benefit of an improved seeding for the knockout stages. However, with his squad hampered he’s had to turn to youth, academy prop Billy Bohan making his first start alongside Dylan Tierney-Martin and Sam Illo in the frontrow as both Finlay Bealham and Jack Aungier are unavailable.
Harry West makes his fifth appearance in only his second start at centre alongside Cathal Forde.
Cian Prendergast, the most experienced player in this new-look outfit, captains the side from the backrow, while the bench includes three uncapped players; Matthew Victory, Albert Lindner and John Devine.
Regardless of the alterations, Lancaster remains confident his side can deliver.
“France is a great place to play. Saying that, there’s a couple of young lads who are going to experience it for the first time,” said the head coach. “It will be a phenomenal experience for them to be able to break away from the norm. It will be played at a different pace, so physicality will be high.”
“Frustrated” with Connacht’s place in the URC standings, Lancaster said this weekend’s fixture will be a welcome break.
“[Montpellier] will struggle with how we play the game. You don’t get that in the normal URC game because South Africans now know how Irish teams play, so there’s a difference in these games and that’s enjoyable.”
He added: “There’s been a lot of great days in the history of Connacht, and a lot of great memories in that history, so I think everyone’s looking forward to it.”
MONTPELLIER: T Vincent; D Taofifenua, T Darmon, J Piccardo, M Rates; S Hogg, L Coly; B Erdocio, L Akrab, L Japaridze; F Verhaeghe, B Chalureau; M Tauleigne, A Becognee (capt), A Masibaka.
Replacements: R Riccitelli, N Abuladze, V Welsch, M Uhila, L Gleeson, A Bernadet, A Vincent, J Ducros.
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; S Jennings, H West, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, B Murphy; B Bohan, D Tierney-Martin, S Illo; D Murray, J Murphy; C Prendergast (capt), P Boyle, S Jansen.
Replacements: M Victory, P Dooley, F Barrett, N Murray, S O’Brien, A Lindner, S Walsh, J Devine.
Referee: Griffin Colby (SA).
