Paddy Jackson to start for Perpignan against Connacht

Paddy Jackson is to start at fly-half on Friday as Perpignan take on Connacht, who are in high spirits after winning four games in a row. Jackson will be hoping to steer his team to victory in what has been a disappointing season for Perpignan, who are 11 points adrift at the bottom of the Top 14 table.

All eyes will be on the 26-year-old to see how he performs against a Connacht side that primarily consists of academy graduates.

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Connacht go into the game against Perpignan with four wins in a row in all competitions, and Head Coach Andy Friend says it is important to keep that momentum as Connacht face into the Christmas interpro series;

“We have gained some real momentum with four wins in a row that included our back to back victories in South Africa. It was important to get the win over Perpignan last weekend to keep our interest alive in this competition, but we know that the return fixture will be a completely different game. Perpignan are in search of a win and the longer they go without that win, the more dangerous they are. They are a different proposition when they are playing at home and we will need a huge performance to challenge them”, Friend said.

Perpignan are not able to qualify for the next stage of the Challenge Cup, however they will be desperate for a strong performance tomorrow to push them on to Top 14 survival, however improbable that seems.