Friday, November 9, 2007

Magne's Brive look to have the edge

In this section »

Gavin Cummiskey

Brive v Connacht: Former French and London Irish flanker Olivier Magne makes his coaching bow tonight against a Connacht side that has a habit of catching French teams cold in Europe. No matter how many times Michael Bradley's men spring a surprise, French clubs' laissez-faire attitude to their visits and this competition in general ensure there is always a chance to wreak havoc.

Considering Brive's early-season form the hosts' focus may well be on regaining domestic form ahead of making headway in Europe.

Magne comes in just two games into the French championship after Richard Crepsey was sacked following defeats to Bayonne (22-21) and Biarritz (12-7). They currently lie 11th in the Top 14 with two losing bonus points.

Connacht's form, on paper at least, is even worse. The only reason they don't prop up the Magners Celtic League with seven points from six rounds is Ulster are currently in a worse off state.

And it's not as if, like Ulster, they can use the World Cup as an excuse because Gavin Duffy was the only absentee. They patently failed to take advantage when several opponents were shorn of their internationals.

There was at least some heartening signs in last Friday's 29-9 defeat in Dublin but for all their competitiveness they were blown away by a couple of moments of quality from the Leinster backs.

Michael Swift comes into the secondrow in place of David Gannon in the only personnel change, with Colm Rigney named on the bench.

Keith Matthews is switched to inside centre with Aidan Wynne retaining a starting berth on the wing - a strange decision considering the 20-year-old has played all his professional and schoolboy rugby at centre.

If Connacht are to make any impact here Australian Tim Donnelly will need to land his kicks at goal. When they were dominating Leinster in the early passages of last week's game, Donnelly's inaccuracy denied them an opportunity to lay a winning platform.

None of the names on the Brive team-sheet will strike fear into the Connacht players but on current evidence to tip them away from home would be folly.

BRIVE: B Davies; F Boleavucu, R Cooke, B Johnston, N Ligairi; L Orquera, G Mahe; P Capdevielle, J Djoudi, A Bordoy, J van Zyl, F Domingo (capt), V Forgues, J Bonvoisin, R Van der Merwe. Replacements: J Bonrepaux, L Harbut, S Thompson, S Franklin, J Pejoine, M Petitjean, S Hufanga.

CONNACHT: G Duffy; O Treviranus, M Deane, K Matthews, A Wynne; T Donnelly, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, J Fogarty, R Morris, M Swift, A Farley (capt), M McCarthy, J O'Connor, J Muldoon. Replacements: A Flavin, B McGovern, C Rigney, R Ofisa, C O'Loughlin, P Durcan, D Yapp.

Referee: A Small (England). Verdict: Brive.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times