Three new caps for Connacht

Rugby - Team News:Connacht will have three new faces on the pitch when they open the new Magners League campaign against the Ospreys at the Sportsground tomorrow evening.

Fomer Cornish Pirates wing Brian Tuohy will start on the right, joined in the back three by Gavin Duffy and Fionn Carr.

In the pack Kiwi lock Bernie Upton is to start alongside Alan Browne, while Tuohy’s former Earth Titans teammate Mike McComish is named at number eight.

Fellow new arrivals Jamie Hagan (prop) and New Zealander Miah Nikora (outhalf) are among the replacements.

Ospreys fans will have their own newcomers to cheer on, though one in particular is a lot more high profile than his Connacht counterparts.

Former All Black flanker Jerry Collins will start in the backrow with captain Ryan Jones (number eight) and compatriot Marty Holah at openside. New fullback Barry Davies comes in for Lions squad member Lee Byrne.

One-time Leinster Academy lock Conor McInerney will have to wait around four months for his debut after undergoing keyhole surgery on his knee this week.

"Our first opponents Connacht are really tough customers, and will provide a real test for us,” said coach Sean Holley today. “They've certainly improved their style of play in the last year or two. Michael Bradley has had them for a long time now and he's moved his squad in a slightly different direction.

"The Sportsground isn't an easy place to play, but having said that, when you look down our squad sheet for the weekend, we're in good shape. We've got a squad that is pretty healthy compared to last season, with some additions.

Unlike Leinster and Munster, Ospreys will have some of their Lions on show tomorrow, with Mike Phillips starting at scrumhalf and James Hook on the bench.

"Mike and James are the first Lions players to return to action. Mike only played half a season last year, and James didn't play as much rugby as some of the others in the Six Nations and Lions tour.

“We've looked at it, and felt that those two, of the Lions, along with Ryan (Jones), are ready to get into the fray.

“How long they will both play is yet to be seen, but we wanted to get them integrated as soon as possible, at the appropriate time, as will be the case with our other Lions."

Connacht: G Duffy; B Tuohy, N Ta'auso, K Matthews, F Carr; I Keatley, F Murphy; B Wilkinson, S Cronin, R Morris; A Browne, B Upton; J Muldoon (capt), R Ofisa, M McComish. Replacements: A Flavin, J Hagan, M Swift, J O'Connor, C O'Loughlin, M Nikora, T Nathan.

Ospreys: B Davies, J Vaughton, S Parker, A Bishop, N Walker; D Biggar, M Phillips; D Jones, R Hibbard, C Griffiths; I Gough, A Lloyd; J Collins, M Holah, R Jones (capt). Replacements: H Bennett, P James, T Smith, F Tiatia, T Isaacs, J Hook, J Spratt