Head coach Pat Lam admitted Connacht’s RaboDirect PRO12 season is not about to get any easier as they prepare to welcome Ospreys to Galway on Saturday. The Welshmen are slowly bringing back their British & Irish Lions stars into an unbeaten team after their first three games. Lam, whose side lost 18-7 at home to Ulster last week, admitted it doesn’t get any easier with the visit of Cardiff. “It’s a massive game and another step up,” he told the Galway Advertiser. “They are undefeated, boast Lions and Welsh internationals, and there is quality throughout the team. “They are four-time league champions and are undefeated so far this season. They will come here full of confidence.” Connacht will have to cope with the visit of Ospreys without key injured players Jason Harris-Wright and Willie Faloon, as they look to add to just one victory in their last six PRO12 outings – a 25-16 win against Zebre in round one. Sean Henry will come in at hooker with Galway man Andrew Browne coming in at No.6 allowing Jake Heenan to move to the openside. “Our boys were sore after the weekend because it was a big physical effort and now they are facing another one this week,” added Lam. “Losing both Willie and Jason was a big loss for us as a team but it presents an opportunity for other, young players to step up. “We’re looking forward to Craig’s (Ronaldson) first start at this level. He deserves his opportunity after his work in pre-season and has done well coming on from the bench in the last three games.” Despite Connacht’s slow start and injuries, Osprey’s coach Steve Tandy is under no illusions as to the test they will present. Connacht won this equivalent fixture in Galway last season 22-10 – their first victory over Ospreys since 2008. “After going to Treviso and Leinster in the first two weeks, this is another tough away game that will really test us,” said Tandy. “It’s always a difficult place to go. It’s as recently as February that we’ve come off second best there, so we’ll travel knowing that we have to go to go up a few notches from where we were last weekend if we want to take anything from this game. “We know what to expect in terms of conditions, it’ll be wet and windy as it always is, and we realise that going to Galway you have to play the conditions as well as the opposition. “We’ll have to be up for it from the first whistle or they’ll make us pay.” Ospreys will welcome back Lions star Justin Tipuric for his first start of the season, while Ben John will come into the centres, Scott Baldwin into the front row and James King on the blindside. Tandy continued: “The Lions boys have been welcomed back in and have done a great job, while it’s good to see the likes of Tom Habberfield and Aaron Jarvis also involved again. “It makes for some very tough selections in the coming weeks, but that competition for places is exactly what we need, and will help drive standards within the group as we look forward to coming home to the Liberty for games against Ulster and Leinster on the next two weekends.” At Sportsground, 5pm. Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU,23rd competition game) Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, David O’Flynn (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: John West (IRFU)
