Coming hard on the heels of their near record defeat by Ulster last week, Connacht have been hit with a double injury blow for tomorrow's home game against Munster.
Their former English under-21 lock, Gavin Webster, pulled up with a back spasm at training yesterday and is thus sidelined, as is Kiwi flanker Martyn Steffert (hamstring). John Casserly comes into the back row, and, with Jimmy Duffy still ruled out, Colm Rigney replaces Webster in the second row.
This makes for four changes to the pack, as Martin Cahill and Shane McDonald come into a restructured front row, with Jimy Screene switching to the open side. A vacancy has been left in the replacements.
Meanwhile, following the management's midweek meeting, Irish coach Warren Gatland has confirmed that the 30-32 man squad for the first get-together of the season in Limerick will be named on Monday.
Gatland also intimated that they will be seeking to use the Leinster-Argentina game on August 24th as a chance to look at some of the English-based Irish players. Into this category might fall Kieron Dawson and Rob Henderson, and perhaps, Niall Woods.
CONNACHT: S Allnutt; M Mostyn, M Deane, M Murphy, P Duignan; E Elwood (capt), C McGuinness; J Screene, S McDonald, M Cahill, C Rigney, M McConnell, J Casserly, B Gavin, B Jackman. Replacements: S McIvor, C Kilroy, N Carolan, J Maher, J McVeigh, E Brennan, AN Other.
