Connacht have a point to prove, warns Cullen

LEINSTER will face a Connacht side with ‘a point to prove’ tonight at the RDS, head coach Leo Cullen has warned. Four players in Connacht’s starting line-up were products of the academy before making the move out West. For the likes of Cian Kelleher, Tom Farrell, Gavin Thornbury and Paul Boyle, tonight’s game at Leinster HQ is a chance to show the province what they are missing. ‘Leinster have been playing Connacht for as long as I have been involved in these games. There are always players at Connacht who have passed through the doors at Leinster and they have a point to prove and that always makes them incredibly dangerous. ‘We saw last season when we got beaten 47-10 in the Sportsground what it means to them when they’re playing Leinster. It was a tough physical challenge earlier this year so yeah, it’s a game that has a lot of threat for us always. ‘We’ve had some very close games and some games where we have been well beaten, particularly down in Galway over the last 10 years or so. I know a lot of those guys are good, they have gone away and proved themselves in a different environment. They have all moved for different reasons. ‘When they come back to take on Leinster they

From Back Page have a point to prove, always. ‘There is always a bit of a danger in these games, like any week really but there is always something extra special in some of these particular fixtures.’ Leinster have not lost to Connacht in Dublin for 16 years, but the visitors will fancy lifting that hex with a fully-loaded squad this evening. Andy Friend’s side ended a 58-year losing streak against Ulster in Belfast in October with a 15-22 win at Ravenhill. Cullen played in that defeat at the old Donnybrook, a 23-26 defeat on Friday the 13th, 2002. A fired-up Connacht outfit — containing Eric Elwood, Dan McFarland and Jerry Flannery — stormed the capital that night. It remains a painful memory for Cullen. ‘I just always remember the feeling at the end of these games and the feeling that I’m going to remember this one for a long time and people are probably going to be reminding me of it in years to come,’ he said. ‘It was 2002, in the old Donnybrook before the Energia Park astro-turf days that it is now. It was a very, very different type of pitch. ‘I remember what it meant to the Connacht players at the time and being part of that team that loses to Connacht in Donnybrook at home. ‘It’s the nature of these games, there’s something extra special about them, you need to make sure you prepare as well as possible for the game. ‘’I can’t remember that week’s preparation but I certainly remember the game and losing and they stay with you forever. ‘We’ve got to make sure we get as much right as we possibly can to ensure that doesn’t happen to us. That was a very, very different time.’ With one eye on next Saturday’s meeting with Munster at Thomond Park. Cullen has made 12 personnel changes to the side which demolished Bath 42-15 at Lansdowne Road last time out.