Leinster have made 10 changes to the starting XV from last week’s 54-34 win over the Sharks, with Tadhg Furlong making his first appearance of season and James Ryan his first start. Garry Ringrose, sparkling off the bench on the wing last week, returns to his customary outside centre position and is captain. Liam Turner makes his first appearance of the campaign on the right wing, while Cormac Foley makes his first start of the season at scrumhalf and Ross Byrne returning at outhalf. Ed Byrne is recalled at loosehead while the first-choice Irish backrow of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan all start as well. Andrew Porter and Michael Ala’alatoa will provide considerable oomph off the bench, which also features Joe McCarthy after his involvement in the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa, the fit-again Ciarán Frawley and Robbie Henshaw.
Connacht can only play their Ireland internationals in five of their next seven matches in order to comply with the IRFU’s mandatory rest periods. Here's everything you need to know about the game. When is it on and what time is kick-off? The game will take place on Saturday, December 10 at The Sportsground in Galway with kick-off scheduled for 5.
What TV channel is Connacht v Newcastle on? All the details for Challenge Cup clashCON CLASH Published: 16:07, 7 Dec 2022Updated: 15:45, 9 Dec 2022CONNACHT welcome Newcastle Falcons to Galway in the opening game of their Challenge Cup campaign. The Westerners will be hoping it will be their only season in the second tier having been mainstays in the Champions Cup.
Niall Murray comes into the secondrow and Paul Boyle at number eight, while the 22-year-old Irish qualified Kiwi Shamus Hurley-Langton moves to openside. There’s also a first start of the season for scrumhalf Colm Reilly. Connacht have retained a 6-2 split on a bench featuring the fit-again Caolin Blade and the 22-year-old ex-Sale product Ciarán Booth, who is line for his second appearance. The home supporters possibly have mixed feelings about Johnny Sexton being rested for Leinster’s meeting with Munster at the Aviva Stadium next Saturday, in what might have been his last appearance at the Sportsground, but needless to say Leo Cullen is still sending a strong matchday 23.
Marginal underdogs last week, Connacht return to more familiar terrain against Leinster, who are 1-6 to win and 12-point favourites on the handicap. Leinster won all four meetings last season, three of them by an average winning margin of 33 points. That might also have left Connacht with some mental scars, although both Friend and Cullen have cited the most competitive of last season’s four meeting, the first of the two-legged Champions Cup Round of 16 tie here which Leinster won 26-21, as the most relevant. Connacht outhalf Jack Carty will have improved his match sharpness in the win over Munster. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho “We had a cracking game against them here last year in the Champions Cup, ” said Friend after last week’s win. “We didn’t back it up but we believe we have a game-style that can hurt them if we get it right.
Newcastle Falcons vs. Connacht - Rugby Union - Sports Mole