THE PRO14 BOOTROOM
CONNACHT v GLASGOW
TEAM NEWS: A debut for new Connacht signing Kyle Godwin in a backline that also includes Tiernan O’Halloran and record try scorer Matt Healy, with new captain Jarrad Butler named at openside. Danger men Stuart Hogg and Peter Horne both start for the visitors,
VERDICT: Connacht WHY: Andy Friend has made a big impression in his first few weeks out West, including a clean sweep of pre-season wins that has instilled buckets of self-belief in his Connacht squad. Glasgow have a great record here – this is the third season running that they have opened their season at the CONNACHT: O’Halloran; Kelleher, Godwin, Farrell, Healy; Carty, Blade; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Dillane, Cannon, Boyle, Butler, McKeon. Reps: Delahunt, McCabe, Carey, Roux, Gallagher, Mitchell, Ronaldson, Adeolokun. GLASGOW WARRIORS: Hogg; Seymour, Grigg, Horne, Van der Merwe; Hastings, Horne; Kebble, Turner, Fagerson, Cummings, Gray, Harley, Gibbins (co-capt), Wilson (co-capt). Reps: Brown, Allan, Rae, Ashe, Fusaro, Frisby, Dunbar, Matawalu. Referee: Ian Davies (WRU). Kick-off: 3pm, Sportsground. TV: LIVE on TG4, EirSport.
KEY STAT
Glasgow scored 30 more tries than Connacht last season – 83 to 53.
MUNSTER v CHEETAHS
TEAM NEWS: Plenty of big hitters are still missing for Musnter but Joey Carbery is expected to be sprung from the bench for his debut. Fellow new signings Arno Botha, Mike Haley and Neil Cronin all start while Billy Holland captains the side. Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Tian Schoeman, Luan de Bruin, JP du Preez, Walt Steenkamp, Aidon Davis and Ryno Eksteen will all make their Pro14 debuts for the Cheeyahs.
VERDICT: Munster WHY: The Cheetahs made a very decent go of their debut season in the Pro14 and will hope to improve this time around, but face a very tough opening at Thomond. After MUNSTER: Haley; Sweetnam, Goggin, R Scannell, Daly; Hanrahan, Cronin; Botha, O’Donnell, O’Callaghan, Holland (capt), Kleyn, Ryan, Sherry, Kilcoyne. Reps: Marshall, Scott, Archer, O’Shea, Coombes, Hart, Carbery, Arnold. CHEETAHS: Jaer; Maxwane, Janse van Rensburg, Lee, Small-Smith; Schoeman, Venter; Wiese, Mohoje (capt), Pokomela, Du Preez, Basson, De Bruin, Du Toit, Nche. Reps: Dweba, Marais, Coetzee, Steenkamp, Davis, Meyer, Stapelberg, Eksteen. Referee: Dan Jones (WRU). Kick-off: 5.15pm, Thomond Park. TV: LIVE on TG4, EirSport.
KEY STAT
Munster beat the Cheetahs in both their meetings last season, scoring eight tries to two.
ULSTER v SCARLETS
TEAM NEWS: Marcel Coetzee will line out for Ulster for the first time since October 2016 after an injuryplagues start to his Ravenhill career. In the absence of the injured Rory Best, Alan O’Connor captains the province for Dan McFarland’s first game in charge. Scarlets – beaten by Leinster in last year’s final – have 14 players injured, but Jonathan Davies returns to play his first competitive game since November 2017. VERDICT: Scarlets. WHY: Even without key names like Leigh Halfpenny and Samson Lee, Scarlets are well able to perform and have delivered in the past ULSTER: Addison; Gilroy, Cave, McCloskey, Speight; Burns, Cooney; Warwick, Andrew, O’Toole, O’Connor (capt), Henderson, Coetzee, Reidy, Timoney. Reps: A McBurney, E O’Sullivan, R Kane, K Treadwell, C Henry, D Shanahan, A Curtis, A Kernohan. SCARLETS: Blommetjies; Prydie, Davies, Fonotia, S Evans; Patchell, Hidalgo-Clyne; Evans, Owens (capt), Kruger, Bulbring, Cummins, Thomson, Davies, Macleod. Reps: Elias, Price, Gardiner, Kennedy, Davis, Davies, Jones, Nicholas. Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR). Kick-off: 5.15pm, Ravenhill. TV: LIVE on EirSport, S4C.
KEY STAT
Ulster have not won a trophy since claiming the Celtic League in 2006.