Durcan starts for Connacht

Llanelli v Connacht: Connacht coach Michael Bradley has decided to start 20-year-old former underage international Peter Durcan…

Llanelli v Connacht: Connacht coach Michael Bradley has decided to start 20-year-old former underage international Peter Durcan at outhalf, one of four changes for tonight's match. Daniel Riordan and Gavin Duffy swap places as the former goes to fullback and the latter to outside centre.

Bradley has gone for physique in the back five, with Michael Swift coming into the secondrow and David Gannon switching to blindside flanker. Two of the Ireland Under-20 side that won the Grand Slam this season are included in the replacements, secondrow Andrew Browne and centre Aidan Wynne.

Connacht have completed the signing of England international prop Robbie Morris from Newcastle Falcons. The 25-year-old has been capped twice at full international level and half a dozen times with England A.

Llanelli are without a host of first-choice players, including captain and Ireland flanker Simon Easterby, Stephen Jones, Mark Jones and Dwayne Peel but should still have enough to win.

LLANELLI: B Davies; G Evans, R King, G Evans, M Watkins; C Thomas, L Davies; P John, K Owens, J Davies; A Jones, S MacLeod; D Jones, J Bater, N Thomas. Replacements: C Dunlea, D George, I Afeaki, J Mills, C Stuart-Smith, D Evans, P Mackey.

CONNACHT: D Riordan; J Hearty, G Duffy, M McHugh, C McPhillips; P Durcan, C Keane; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty, R Hogan; M Swift, A Farley; D Gannon, J Muldoon, C Rigney. Replacements: A Flavin, R Loughney, D McGowan, A Browne, A Wynne, T Robinson, D Yapp.

Referee: A MacPherson (Scotland).

Verdict: Llanelli to win.

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John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer