Bundee Aki heads the lists of returning frontliners for Connacht as they put the final touches on their plans to take down Leinster in the first leg of their Champions Cup knock-out clash at the Sportsground tomorrow night (8pm).
Ireland centre Aki is one of three changes after last week's timely URC victory at Benetton as he makes his first appearance since the Six Nations, while second row Gavin Thornbury starts after making his return off the bench last weekend after an 11-month absence.
Jarrad Butler, who was nursing an ankle last week, will lead the side out as captain and the clash of the two back rows - Butler, Cian Prendergast and Conor Oliver against the all-Test trio of Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris and Jack Conan could be vital.
Sammy Arnold has passed his HIA protocols but Tom Farrell gets the nod to partner Aki in midfield against Garry Ringrose and former Connacht ace Robbie Henshaw.
As expected, skipper Johnny Sexton returns for his first game since the Six Nations, with Ross Byrne named on the bench.
Luke McGrath gets the nod again over Ireland's first-choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, while the remainder of the backline that started in last week's URC victory over Munster is in situ.
But there are plenty of changes to the Blues front five in the pack, with Cian Healy, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony and Josh Murphy - who joins Connacht in the summer - coming in.
"There’s a huge sense of excitement among all the players and management for tomorrow night," said Connacht boss Andy Friend.
"These are the type of games you want to be involved in, and with a capacity crowd behind us it’s going to be a great occasion and one we firmly believe we can win.
"We have over 45 players training between our pros and integrated Academy players so that’s a great place to be at this stage of the season, and it’s given the coaches some headaches for our squad selection as well."
Connacht: O'Halloran, Porch, Farrell, Aki, Hansen, Carty, Marmion; Burke, Heffernan, Bealham, Thornbury, Fifita, Prendergast, Oliver, Butler. Replacements: Tierney-Martin, Tuimauga, Aungier, Dowling, Papali'i, Blade, Fitzgerald, Arnold.
Leinster: Keenan, O'Brien, Ringrose, Henshaw, Lowe, Sexton, McGrath; Healy, Sheehan, Furlong, Molony, Murphy, Doris, van der Flier, Conan. Replacements: Tracy, Byrne, Aa'alatoa, Toner, Deegan, Gibson-Park, Byrne, Frawley.
