Michael Bradley has made 11 changes and two positional switch to his side ahead of their third preseason friendly against London Welsh at the Sportsground on Friday (kick off: 6.30pm).

Troy Nathan is named at full back for the first time, in a back line which includes five changes in total. There is a new halfback partnership with Kieran Campbell and Andy Dunne linking up and Aidan Wynne partners Mel Deane in the centre, with Keith Matthews moving to the left wing and Fionn Carr taking his place on the right.

John Lyne, Conor Muldoon and Ronan Loughney form a new front row while Andrew Browne comes into the second row for his second start of the season. In the back row, Captain John Muldoon moves to number eight as Ray Ofisa and Michael McCarthy come in to take their positions on the flanks.

London Welsh RFC

Full name:     London Welsh Rugby Football Club
Founded:     1885

Location:     London, England
Ground(s):     Old Deer Park, Richmond upon Thames

Capacity:     5,850
Coach:         Martin Jones
League:       National Division One
Position (06-07):     12th
Official website:     www.london-welsh.co.uk


London Welsh Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in London that currently plays in National Division One, the second level of the English rugby union league system (below the Guinness Premiership).

London Welsh, established by and for London's Welsh community, has played senior-level rugby in England since its formation in 1885. Its name in Welsh, though it is rarely used, is Clwb Rygbi Cymry Llundain.

Over the years the club has contributed 177 players to the Wales national team and 43 players to the British and Irish Lions. Seven London Welsh players were selected for the 1971 tour to New Zealand (a Lions record in amateur times): captain John Dawes (now London Welsh president), JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervyn Davies, John Taylor (now board member and ITV commentator), Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans (now a WRU Committee man).

In their current first team squad are at least two Irish born players, with two former Lansdowne front-rowers Gavin O'Meara and Paul Doran Jones wearing the Red Dragon last season.

London Welsh unlike many clubs in the professional era, who have tended to run a 1st XV squad and distance themselves from 2nd, 3rd and lower sides, London Welsh still run multiple senior sides. They also have a successful social section, the Occasionals (or 'Occies'), who go a long way towards maintaining the 'amateur ethos' of enjoying a game and a pint on a Saturday.

London Welsh has one of the longest standing women's sides - LWWRFC, who celebrated twenty years of women's rugby at the club in the 2005/6 season. Whilst still being amateur, the women train hard and have enjoyed recent success with the club, both in XVs in the winter and 7s during the summer. There are also London Welsh Women representatives at England Regional Level.

In December 2006, London Welsh revealed their ambition to turn their back on the English league and become the 5th Welsh team in the Magners League. The club later appeared to go back on this report, claiming they had been misquoted and said this would only be considered if the Guinness Premiership decided to prohibit promotion/relegation, but confirmed their hopes of ground-sharing with Brentford FC either at their current stadium Griffin Park or a new 20,000 seat ground to be built at Lionel Road, near Kew Bridge.

Notable former players

    *  Robert Ackerman
    *  Kevin Bowring
    *  Colin Charvis
    *  Gerald Davies
    *  Mervyn Davies
    *  John Dawes
    *  Geoff Evans
    *  Arthur Harding
    *  Alun Lewis
    *  Arthur Lewis
    *  Bryn Meredith
    *  Mike Roberts
    *  Tom Shanklin
    *  John Taylor
    *  J.P.R. Williams

Connacht team:
T Nathan; F Carr, M Deane, A Wynne, K Matthews; A Dunne, K Campbell; J Lyne, C Muldoon, R Loughney; M Swift, A Browne; M McCarthy, R Ofisa, J Muldoon (C).

Replacements from:
A Flavin, S Cronin, B Wilkinson, B McGovern, A Farley, J O'Connor, C Rigney, F Murphy, I Keatley, G Duffy.

London Welsh RFC: TBC....

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