Friend demands response

CONNACHT coach Andy Friend wants his men to head into the break on a high by slaying the Dragons at the Sportsground today (5.15pm).

But he has warned his men to take nothing for granted after being turned over by an Ospreys side last weekend who were missing eight Welsh internationals. A win against Bernard Jackman’s men would secure a 50pc return on their opening segment of games, but Friend has warned they will have to earn their fourth win of the campaign.

“There is probably an assumption that (we will win) and the difficulty with the Ospreys one was that the assumption was from within. The assumption was that we were going to win. Well, only if you play good footie and we didn’t. So we have said, dispel the assumptions boys and we have to turn up. It doesn’t matter whether it is an inter-pro game or another team down the bottom of the table.”

With three players on duty in Chicago, Friend has had to make changes but the availability of Kieran Marmion is a boost. Skipper Jarrad Butler also returns, while Galway native Eoin Griffin is set to make his 100th appearance. CONNACHT – T O’Halloran; C Kelleher, K Godwin, T Farrell, C De Buitlear; D Horwitz, K Marmion; D Buckley, T McCartney, C Care; U Dillane, J Cannon; S O’Brien, C Fainga’a, J Butler. Reps: S Delahunt, M Burke, C O’Donnell, J Maksymiw, J Connolly, C Blade, J Carty, E Griffin.

DRAGONS – J Williams; D Howells, H Amos, J Sage, W Talbot-Davies; J Tovey, R Williams; B Harris, R Hibbard, L Fairbrother; J Davies, L Evans; H Keddie, N Cudd, T Basham. Reps: R Lawrence, A Jarvis, D Suter, J Thomas, H Taylor, T Knoyle, J Dixon, A Warren. Connacht v Dragons, Live, TG4, 5.15