Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Cannon is fired up for Brive
CONNACHT lock James Cannon is relishing the opportunity to play at a hostile French venue this weekend.
Brive may be in Top 14 relegation trouble but Cannon knows they rarely lose at the Stade Amedeedomenech.
The 29-year-old former Northampton Saint has never played against Brive before but previous experience with Wasps and Connacht in France have whetted his appetite.
“I actually quite enjoy playing down in France, it’s a slightly different atmosphere,” said Cannon.
“I can guarantee that the atmosphere at the ground will be loud and attritional – which is great for a player to play in. It’s not dissimilar to The Sportsground on a packed night. It’s exciting to go there and test yourself against something different than what you are used to.
“The French packs play a slightly different brand of rugby than the teams in the PRO14 do so it’s nice to have a bit of variation.
“Hopefully over the next couple of weeks we can put in some good performances against Brive. Then we are back into the PRO14 and hopefully we can pick up some wins there.”
Cannon has played 27 times for Connacht since his arrival as injury cover from Wasps in September 2016.
The Kettering man has had to battle with Ultan Dillane and Quinn Roux for a starting spot but is enjoying his time in Galway.
“I’ve been here just over a year now so I am well settled,” said Cannon. “It’s a very competitive position in the club but I’ve been lucky to play a bit this year which is great. The sad thing is we haven’t been able to pick up as many wins as we would have wanted.”