Pat Lam admits he is chomping at the bit to get going as he prepares to lead Connacht into battle for the first time in their RaboDirect PRO12 season opener against Zebre.

New Zealander Lam will be looking to pick up from where Eric Elwood left off with Connacht winning more games than ever before last season on their way to finishing eighth.

However the Irish side begin at the Sportsground on Saturday having won just one of their final five games last term and with the knowledge that they slipped up in their opening fixture last season, going down 13-9 at home to Cardiff Blues.

But new head coach Lam is adamant his new-look Connacht side can get off to a flyer this time around, even though he expects Zebre will be a hard team to break down.

“Everything we have been doing in pre-season has been geared towards this Saturday and we are ready to go,” Lam said.

“We know the importance of this game. Zebre are a tough side and are hanging out for a win.

“But we cannot worry about them. The focus is on us as a team, making sure we do exactly what we have been working on, that we have clarity in our jobs.

“We want the four points, we want the win, but the real focus is on us playing as a team. If we do that, the chances of getting the four points will increase.”

Lam has chosen Michael Swift as captain for his first game in charge, the highest capped player for both Connacht and in the RaboDirect PRO12 joined in the second row by Andrew Browne.

Brett Wilkinson was granted Irish citizenship last month having arrived at Connacht in 2006 and he celebrates that fact by joining Jason Harris-Wright and Nathan White in the front row.

But there is bad news for newcomer Craig Clarke who is ruled out of the clash with Zebre after picking up a calf injury in a pre-season game with Newcastle Falcons.

George Naoupu is earning his 50th cap for the province as he starts at No.8, packing down alongside flankers John Muldoon and Willie Faloon.

In the backs, Irish international Robbie Henshaw starts at full-back, with the back three completed by Connacht’s most prolific try scorer and recent returnee Fionn Carr on the right wing and Matt Healy, who started two out of three of the pre-season games, on the left.

New signings Sean Henry, Aly Muldowney, Jake Heenan and Craig Ronaldson are all in line to make their first competitive start for Connacht after being named on the bench.

Zebre are still looking for their first ever RaboDirect PRO12 victory but can take solace from the fact that in their last two games against Connacht last season they drove them close, the Irish side winning by just five and four points respectively.

And as they look to make that final step from plucky losers to victors Zebre have named five debutants in their starting XV for Saturday’s clash with Kiwis Dion Berryman and Brendon Leonard, Fijians Kameli Ratuvou and Samuela Vunisa and Italian prop Dario Chistolini all given the nod.

Lock Marco Bortolami is Zebre’s skipper for the game and he is keen to build on what was a good pre-season.

He said: “I think pre-season went very well. We played three friendly games in France against Second Division teams which I think was the right ladder for us to start with.

“We got three wins which was good for the mentality and to build the team.

“We had new coaches this year. It’s always a big challenge to change coaching staff and get into a new system but the players have responded very well and we are very positive.”

At Sportsground, 5pm.
Referee: Rhys Thomas (WRU, 2nd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Hagan-O’Connell, D O’Flynn (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Eddie Walsh (IRFU)