Connacht Rugby have announced the team that will face Harlequins tomorrow night (The Sportsground, 20.00)
The side sees just one change from the team that took on Toulouse in Stade Ernest Wallon last weekend with Ronan Loughney replacing Dylan Rogers at tighthead prop.
Loughney was called into the Ireland Wolfhounds squad yesterday along with 4 other Connacht players, Brett Wilkinson, John Muldoon, Gavin Duffy and Mike McCarthy while Tiernan O’Halloran was called in as an additional player to the Senior Ireland squad.
27 year old Ronan Loughney has shown great versatility this season, moving from loosehead to tighthead prop and the 111kg Galway-man has excelled not just in the set piece but in loose play as well and it is this form that has seen him called into the Irish squad.
With 5 appearances short of 100 Loughney adds to an already experienced Connacht pack who boast 991 caps between them while captain Gavin Duffy will use his experience to marshal the youthful backline whose fresh and dynamic approach have encapsulated Connacht’s style this season.
Connacht XV to face Harlequins (The Sportsground, Friday 20/01/2012 kickoff 20.00 live Sky Sports 1)
15 Gavin Duffy (C)
14 Fetu’u Vainikolo
13 Kyle Tonetti
12 Dave McSharry
11 Tiernan O’Halloran
10 Niall O’Connor
09 Paul O’Donohoe
01 Brett Wilkinson
02 Adrian Flavin
03 Ronan Loughney
04 Michael Swift
05 Mike McCarthy
06 John Muldoon
07 Ray Ofisa
08 George Naoupu
16 Ethienne Reynecke
17 Denis Buckley
18 Dylan Rogers
19 Mick Kearney
20 Eoin McKeon
21 Dave Moore
22 Miah Nikora
23 Henry Fa’afili
