Athlone duo face crunch european match

ATHLONE’S Jack Carty and Robbie Henshaw have both been picked to play for Connacht in this weekend’s major clash against Gloucester in the Champions Cup play-off game (Kingsholm Stadium, Sunday, 3.30pm).

If Connacht are to progress to a further play-off the following weekend, against French opponents, they will need both Athlone men to be on top of their game against an excellent English side.

In other team news, John Cooney, who was this week named on the Emerging Ireland squad, comes in to start at scrum-half in the absence of the injured Kieran Marmion, while Ian Porter takes a place on the replacements bench. George Naoupu represents the only change to the pack and is named in the second row alongside Aly Muldowney.

Tight head prop Rodney Ah You will run out for his 100th appearance for the province, packing down in a front row with Tom McCartney and Connacht Rugby Forward of the Year Denis Buckley, who was also named in the Emerging Ireland squad this week.

Academy forward James Connolly, who made an appearance at Kingsholm in the Challenge Cup quarter-final last month (which Connacht lost), is once again included among the replacements. Marmion, meanwhile, has been ruled out with a medial ligament tear to his left ankle and faces up to four weeks recovery time. Sunday’s match can be watched live on BT Sports.

Connacht team to face Gloucester:

15. Tiernan O’Halloran
14. Fionn Carr
13. Robbie Henshaw
12. Bundee Aki
11. Matt Healy
10. Jack Carty
9. John Cooney

1. Denis Buckley
2. Tom McCartney
3. Rodney Ah You
4. George Naoupu
5. Aly Muldowney
6. John Muldoon (captain)
7. Eoghan Masterson
8. Eoin McKeon

Replacements:

16. Dave Heffernan
17. JP Cooney
18. Finlay Bealham
19. Andrew Browne
20. James Connolly
21. Ian Porter
22. Miah Nikora
23. Shane O’Leary.

Unavailable/Injured: Jason Harris-Wright, Sean Henry, Ronan Loughney, Nathan White, Mick Kearney, Quinn Roux, Mata Fifita, Willie Faloon, Jake Heenan, Kieran Marmion, Craig Ronaldson, Conor Finn, Dave McSharry, Danie Poolman, Darragh Leader, Mils Muliaina.