By John Fallon

Montauban, the ProD2 champions in France, will arrive in Galway this week with minimal interest in fulfilling a fixture tomorrow (8pm) that Connacht need to win to book a place in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

It will be a shock if Connacht don’t amass a huge win against a Montauban side beaten 31-28 in their own backyard in the south of France last weekend by the Black Lion selection from Georgia who were thrashed 52-0 by Connacht last month.

Add in the fact that Montauban have to travel to Perpignan next weekend for a relegation clash where defeat will go a long way to sending them back down from the Top 14, and it’s hard to see where they will muster much of a challenge on College Road tomorrow night.

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster, whose side continued their penchant for throwing away winning hands in Montpellier last Sunday, will understandably caution against complacency, although the expected landslide win will be of little benefit for the rematch with Leinster on one of Connacht’s biggest days ever when they open the revamped €40m stadium tomorrow week, Saturday January 24.

“It’s a huge game for us. Montauban have got nothing to lose,” said Lancaster. “They’ll come in and will throw everything at us. So it’s up to us to get back to recover well, it’s a short turnaround, Sunday to Saturday. But we need to play well to build that momentum, belief going into the Leinster game, but also get us into the Last 16.”

They should have won in Montpellier last weekend, but they will still qualify for the knockout stages. Twelve of the 18 teams will advance – the top four form each of the three six-team pools – and that dozen sides will be joined in the Last 16 by four teams dropping down from the Champions Cup when the knockout stage begins in April.

“We’re still alive in the competition. We need to win [on Saturday], and when we get to April, we’ll probably be away from home if we can win that game. And we’ll deal with that then. But it’s about [Saturday] now, about preparing well, playing for our home supporters and beating Montauban.”

Lancaster is determined to give young players a chance and hooker Matthew Victory, centre John Devine, and scrum-half Albert Lindner from Germany came off the bench for their debuts in the final quarter in Montpellier.

“Yes, exactly. Lots of young lads playing,” he added. “I mean, it’s not like Billy Bohan and Fiachna [Barrett] are experienced players either.

“We’ve got a lot of young players playing for the first time in France. So I thought they all did really well. I’ve just mentioned them in the changing room. There was nothing more they could have done, really. So, yes, they’re all disappointed, but I’m very proud of those boys.”

Montpellier lead the standings in Pool 1 with 15 points from three bonus-point wins. They face Ospreys tomorrow, who sit four points behind in second, in a direct clash for top spot with both sides already qualified for the knockout stages.

Connacht’s opponents tomorrow sit at the foot of the table and is the only one of the six sides in the pool that has already been eliminated from the running for the knockout stages before the final round of games.

Black Lion host Zebre in the remaining pool game, with the Georgian side needing a bonus point win, and preventing Zebre from picking up a bonus point, to qualify for the knockout stages at the expense of the Italians.

Pictured: Connacht’s Hugh Gavin is tackled by Tornike Kakhoidze of Black Lion in the Challenge Cup clash between the sides last month. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.