Illo and Murray handed first Connacht starts in Brive clash

The Connacht management team have selected their squad for tomorrow’s EPCR Challenge Cup fixture against CA Brive at the Stade Amedee-Domenech (k.o. 8 p.m. Irish time).

After missing out on the squad for last week's victory over Newcastle Falcons, Mayo native Dave Heffernan is back on the replacements' bench for Connacht.

In all here are eight changes to the side that beat Newcastle, and two of those changes will see first Connacht starts for Sam Illo and Darragh Murray.

Peter Dooley is the only player from the front five that started last weekend that keep his place. He’s joined by Shane Delahunt and Sam Illo in the front row. Gavin Thornbury pairs up alongside Darragh Murray in the second row. The back row sees Shamus Hurley-Langton and Paul Boyle keep their place at seven and eight, while Oisin Dowling will wear the number six jersey.

In the backs, Kieran Marmion starts at scrum-half, Bundee Aki returns to centre and Conor Fitzgerald is named at full-back.

Commenting on the team selection, Connacht director of rugby Andy Friend said: “We’ve won five of our last seven and tomorrow we hope to make it six from eight, so there’s a real sense of momentum building within the group. As is always the case, we can still tidy up certain areas of our game, but overall we’re in a good place heading into Christmas.”

Friend added: “A French team at their home ground is a tough challenge no matter who we face, and Brive will be exactly that tomorrow night. I’m confident we have a group of 23 men who will meet that challenge head-on in what will be a physical encounter. There’ll be a few familiar faces in the opposition that we’ll look forward to catching up with after the game.”

The Connacht starting team in full for tomorrow's game is: Conor Fitzgerald, Adam Byrne, Bundee Aki, Tom Daly, Diarmuid Kilgallen, David Hawkshaw, Kieran Marmion; Peter Dooley, Shane Delahunt, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Gavin Thornbury, Oisin Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.

The replacements are: Dave Heffernan, Jordan Duggan, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Niall Murray, Ciaran Booth, Colm Reilly, Byron Ralston, Oran McNulty.