By John Fallon

Connacht head to France at the weekend to take on Montpellier in a Sunday lunchtime Challenge Cup fixture (1pm Irish time), where they face an uphill battle to prevent a fourth defeat in a row in all competitions.

Stuart Lancaster has indicated he will rotate the squad for the two remaining Challenge Cup pool games against Montpellier this weekend, and at home to Montauban tomorrow week, Saturday January 17 (8pm).

Montpellier, who moved into the play-off spots in the Top 14 at the weekend with a 62-22 win over Bayonne, have won both their Challenge Cup games to date and top the pool with 10 points, going on the road to beat Black Lion 24-13 in their opening game, before running out 31-7 winners at home to Zebre in game week two.

Connacht blew a 21-0 lead away to Ospreys to lose 27-21 in their opening game, before bouncing back with a 52-0 drubbing of Black Lions in game week two, but they may struggle to get anything in Montpellier.

However, they should ensure qualification a week later at home to a Montauban side who are set to send a shadow side to Galway given that they have travel to Perpignan the following week for a relegation clash in the Top 14.

Lancaster wants Connacht to have a crack at winning the Challenge Cup, but the priority is top half of the URC and Champions Cup rugby next season.

“The real aim is to finish top eight,” said Lancaster. “You see the league now and there is definitely a split, isn’t there? There is a top six and then there is going to be a hell of a scrap for [positions] seven and eight and we want to be in that scrap.

“The Leinster and Zebre games [later this month] are huge games for us now. We play Glasgow in the Six Nations [window] minus their internationals, same with the Scarlets, then various other games towards the end of that period where we don’t lose as many players internationally as others.

“Playing at home has been hard for 18 months, playing in what feels like an empty stadium, a half-full stadium, so to have the stand open for the Leinster game is huge and then to maintain that momentum for future home games will be massive second-half of the season.”

The former England coach believes Connacht have the talent coming through which will yield progress.

“For me, Connacht have got a great group of young players coming through, and we have to have the confidence to give them opportunities to play. If we don’t, then we’re storing trouble for further down the line.

“I see my challenge as to win here and now but at the same time put strong foundations in place with the way we train, with the young players but recognising as well that we need a strong senior group to see them through.

“That’s what Leinster do really well: they bring lads in from the bottom end as lads drop out of the top end. If you look at the cycle of where our squad is, that is an example of what will happen at the end of this season because we need to bring young players through.

“We ideally need to bring more quality in and in some ways reduce the size of the squad at the moment and actually trust the young players more.

“That’s the goal because I’ve come from Leinster and I know it’s a model that works and so you have to put them in at some point,” he added.

Montpellier lead this year’s Challenge Cup in mauls won both during the tournament (15) and in the latest round (10), making them the premier mauling side in the tournament. The team’s lineout has been particularly effective, winning 17 lineout throws in the win over Zebre.

Alex Masibaka leads the Montpellier squad for tries scored (2), carries (21), post-contact metres (51), try assists (2), defenders beaten (9), and tackles (25).

However, it is not all grim reading for Connacht: the men in green delivered the most devastating attacking performance in round two, scoring a competition-high 8 tries in that 52-0 win; and they lead the competition in try assists with eight in total, six of which came  in that whitewash win; while Sam Gilbert has kicked six successful goals this season, the third-most in the tournament.

Pictured: Dave Heffernan in action for Connacht in the Christmas week defeat to Ulster.  Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.