Elwood raises the bar for squad ahead of Leinster clash

Date Published: 21-Oct-2010

Dara Bradley

COACH Eric Elwood has emphasised the importance of reducing the number of turnovers if they are to be successful in Saturday’s inter-provincial Magners League clash with Leinster.

The first capacity crowd of the season is expected at the Sportsground on Saturday (6.05pm) as Connacht bid for a hat-trick of home wins over the visitors – Connacht won this corresponding fixture by 19-18 in October 2008 and who can forget Connacht’s electrifying three-try 27-13 victory over Leinster in April towards the end of last season.

Connacht put the embarrassment of the defeat to Italian minnows Cavalieri Prato behind them and got their season back on track with a home victory last weekend against Bayonne, but a far greater challenge is expected on Saturday as star-studded Leinster arrives with a plethora of internationals.

Having lost three of their opening five Magners League encounters, Leinster are one place and two points behind Connacht, who lie seventh in the league table, but Joe Schmidt’s charges arrive in Galway high on confidence and in a rich vein of form after two Heineken Cup victories, most recently an impressive away triumph over Saracens.

Even if Luke Fitzgerald, who resumed training Thursday after recovering from a knock, and Brian O’Driscoll (hamstring) will not be risked, Leinster travel with a strong squad that certainly has the capacity to upset Connacht’s unblemished home record so far this season.

The starting line-up, which will be announced at lunch today (Friday), is expected to include Irish internationals, captain Leo Cullen and Jonathan Sexton, who have both been declared fit and will travel along with other well known players Cian Healy, Shane Horgan, Gordon Darcy, Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney.

The 34-man Ireland squad announced by Declan Kidney highlights the gulf in class between the two outfits – the autumn international panel includes a dozen Leinster men while just John Muldoon, Seán Cronin and Gavin Duffy from Connacht made the cut.