Preview - ECC Round Four
Perry returns for Bristol
Bristol supporters will get their first opportunity to see Shaun Perry in action at the Memorial Stadium since he became a full England international, with the scrum-half named in a strong Bristol line-up for Bayonne on Friday.
In fact, Bristol make just the one change to the starting line up that defeated Bayonne at the Stade Jean Dauger last Friday with Craig Short replacing Nathan Budgett on the blindside.
The only other change to the matchday 22 sees the return of Dave Hilton fully recovered from the knee to the kidneys that he received against Gloucester. He replaces Mark Irish on the replacements bench.
Bristol may have won relatively comfortably in France a week ago but nothing is being taken with Bayonne able to bring in several top quality players who did not feature in the last fixture. A win all but guarantees Bristol a place on the quarter-finals.
Bayonne have named Italian international fly-half Ramiro Pez at full-back for the match, preferring New Zealander Gerard Fraser at fly-half. Otherwise their team is largely at full strength – a conspicuous difference to last week.
Connacht have made four changes to the side which beat Montpellier 26-13 at the Sportsground last Friday, for the rematch at the Stade Sabathé.
Mark McHugh and John Fogarty come into the side and Ryan Strudwick is handed his first start for the province in the second row. Darren Yapp and Conor McPhillips are also in the squad this week and are named among the replacements while Matt Lacey comes into the side for Ray Ofisa, who is being rested.
This is Connacht’s fourth match in Pool 4 and will looking to add to last week's win to keep alive their hopes of making the quarter-finals for the fifth year running.
Montpellier have named a virtual academy team for the match though, and so Connacht should not have too many problems. However, the Heraults also welcome back Argentinean Olivier Sarramea from a long break due to injury, for a gentle return to action.
Clermont have rested top points scorer Brock James for the match against Viadana, but Italian international cente Gonzalo Canale is in the starting XV, as well as Fijian fly-half Seremaia Bai and winger Vilimoni Delasau.
Although none of the French internationals have made the matchday squad, the team is still ful of first-team regulars in the pack, including the strong second-row pairing of Thibault Privat and Pierre Vigoroux.
Viadana have Italy international full-back Kaine Robertson starting, and the Spadaro brothers Claudio and Massimo and Claudio in the centre, as well as ex-Glasgow fly-half Calvin Howarth.
Newcastle Falcons have made just two changes to their side for Sunday’s European Challenge Cup clash against French side Montauban at Kingston Park. The Falcons need a win to keep alive their chances of quarter-final qualification, and have selected a strong side captained by fullback Matthew Burke.
Having kept the same pack from last Friday’s 16-10 defeat in Montauban the only changes come in the backs, where James Grindal comes in for Lee Dickson at scrum-half and Tim Visser takes the place of John Rudd on the left wing.
Saracens have made 12 changes to the starting line up for the European Challenge Cup trip to GRAN Parma on Saturday with the likes of Fabio Ongaro, Neil de Kock, Andy Farrell and captain Simon Raiwalui back in the team.
Also returning are David Seymour, Hugh Vyvyan, Cobus Visagie and Dan Scarbrough after being given a rest last weekend and Saracens boss Alan Gaffney has called on those coming into the team to match the performance that saw the Men In Black run out 71-16 winners against the Italians at Vicarage Road last week.
Worcester Warriors coach John Brain has makes nine changes to his side for the tough ERC Challenge Cup trip to Albi, on Saturday. Brain juggles his squad with the aim of keeping players fit and match-ready ahead of next week’s vital Guinness Premiership clash with London Irish, and continuing the momentum of his team’s three-match winning run in the hostile atmosphere of the Stadium Municipal d’Albi.
Of the team that started last Saturday’s shut-out victory against the French Top 14 newcomers at Sixways, only Miguel Avramovic, Shane Drahm, Kai Horstmann, Tom Harding, Tim Collier and Will Bowley start in France, while the replacements bench undergoes a wholesale change.
Glasgow Warriors head coach Sean Lineen has stuck with the same line-up that beat Narbonne 51-7 last Friday for the return European Challenge Cup fixture in the South of France the Saturday.
With tries from Andy Henderson, Kevin Tkachuk, Graeme Beveridge, Scott Barrow, Thom Evans and man-of-the-match Rory Lamont and the rest of the points coming from the boot of Dan Parks (with the exception of a Colin Gregor conversion), the Warriors will be keen to repeat their winning score line as they head to Parc des Sports et de l' Amitie.
NEC Harlequins coach Dean Richards makes seven changes to the team that started last Saturday for the return leg against Bath.
In the back division, Andy Gomarsall returns at scrum half and replaces Danny Care, while Mike Brown is at full back meaning Tom Williams switches to the left wing in place of Ugo Monye.
In the pack, Mike Ross returns to the front row in place of Lorne Ward at tighthead prop, while Ollie Kohn and Simon Miall take over from Jim Evans and Nicolas Spanghero in the second row. Injury rules out Paul Volley, so Will Skinner takes his place on the openside flank and Andre Vos, who comes in for Tom Guest on the blindside flank, takes over as captain.
With Kohn promoted to the starting XV, Academy second row forward George Robson is amongst the replacements, while Mel Deane replaces Gavin Duffy.
“I was disappointed with our performance against Bath last weekend, as there were several elements of our game which weren't good enough on the day,” Richards.
“We weren't combative enough in tight areas, the execution wasn't particularly good and neither was our lineout in the opening 20 to 25 minutes.”
“That said, the plus point to come out of the defeat was the fact that the players were disappointed with their own performance. When the players aren't happy, it shows willingness to put right the wrongs and it's pleasing to have that in the dressing room.
"We go to Bath and have every reason to be confident that we can bounce back from this defeat. The players know that if they perform to their true potential then they are more than capable of getting a result.”
European Challenge Cup fixtures – Round Four:
(All kick-off times are local)
Friday, December 15
Pool 4 – Montpellier v Connacht, 19:30
Pool 1 – Bristol v Bayonne, 19:45
Saturday, December 16
Pool 1 – Bucuresti v Dragons, 13:00
Pool 4 – Bath v Harlequins, 14:15
Pool 2 – GRAN Parma v Saracens, 14:30
Pool 5 – Clermont v Viadana, 15:00
Pool 3 – Petrarca Padova v Brive, 15:00
Pool 5 – Albi v Worcester, 18:30
Pool 2 – Narbonne v Glasgow, 19:30
Sunday, December 17
Pool 3 – Newcastle v Montauban, 15:00
For full standings, click here
