Search Results for 'Heineken Cup'

Connacht’s third foray into Heineken Cup Rugby will see French giants Toulouse return to the Galway Sportsground next season. Connacht have been drawn in pool three with Toulouse, English premiership side Saracens, and also familiar RaboDirect Pro 12 opponents, Italian side Zebre. With the three fellow Irish clubs all in tier one, Connacht were poised to draw Clermont, champions Toulon, or Toulouse. In steering clear of Clermont in pool 4, they also avoided meeting Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins again, but for a second successive year they will face Zebre.

Connacht’s third foray into Heineken Cup Rugby will see French giants Toulouse return to the Galway Sportsground next season.

Greater expectations surround Connacht’s second Heineken Cup campaign which begins on Saturday with a return visit to Italian newcomers Zebre.

From the high of their Heineken Cup victory over Harlequins and a two week break, Connacht return to competitive action in the Pro 12 when they travel to Cardiff to take on the Blues this evening. The challenge for Eric Elwood's men is to deliver the type of performance they displayed in Europe in the bread and butter competition of the Celtic League. If they do not, they will languish at the bottom of the table where Italian strugglers Aironi are poised to overtake them, while a win could see them leap the Dragons.

From the high of their Heineken Cup victory over Harlequins and a two week break, Connacht return to competitive action in the Pro 12 when they travel to Cardiff to take on the Blues tomorrow evening.

After a tough and testing campaign, Connacht Rugby’s debut season of Heineken Cup rugby ends when English premiership leaders Harlequins visit the Sportsground tomorrow evening (8pm).

An open letter from Connacht Rugby

Connacht’s only World Cup player, Fetu’u Vainikolo, is in line to make his debut for the province in Saturday evening’s RaboDirect Pro 12 fixture against Cardiff at the Galway Sportsground (6pm). The Tongan World Cup player, who has played on both left and right wings, has been recovering from a medial ligament tear and is expected to make his first start for Connacht this weekend. The 26-years-old, who signed for Connacht from the Otago Highlanders, returned to Galway after Tonga’s exit from the World Cup. After a late call-up to the Tonga squad, Vainikolo was given a starting place in Tonga's 25-20 loss to Canada, and scored a try against Japan in the group matches before suffering a knee injury. Connacht coach Eric Elwood says Vainikolo has returned from New Zealand full of confidence.

Connacht captain Gavin Duffy is calling on the province to get behind the team as they head into their first Heineken Cup rugby campaign.

Newcomers Connacht have the honour of opening this year’s Heineken Cup.