Magners League team news:Having confirmed Joe Schmidt as Michael Cheika's replacement late last night, attention switches back to the here and now for Leinster as they prepare to face Connacht this weekend.
Cheika, who will leave the province at the end of the current campaign, has rested a number of frontliners with a busy January looming but should have enough strength in depth to get the job done at the Sportsground.
Granted, the likes of Rob Kearney, Brian O’Driscoll, Cian Healy and Jamie Heaslip will sit this one out. But with Leo Cullen, Shane Horgan, Stan Wright and Gordon D’Arcy retained in the squad there is plenty of experience.
Nathan Hines, who missed the win over Ulster through injury, returns to the fold but CJ van der Linde remains sidelined.
With just one defeat in their last 10 trips to Galway, Leinster could be forgiven for a touch of complacency but backs coach Alan Gaffney expects a tough battle.
"We know from experience that we'll face tough opposition up in Galway, so irrespective of their defeat to Munster last weekend, we know to expect a backlash from them,” Gaffney said today.
"We expect them to select from a full compliment (of players) this weekend and I'm sure that they will be keen to redress that result down in Thomond Park. You always get a tough contest in the Sportsground, but it will be a good test for us and one that we are looking forward to.”
Connacht will be without Ireland international Gavin Duffy and prop Brett Wilkinson for the visit of Leinster .
Full-back Duffy sustained a jaw injury in the 35-3 defeat to Munster while Wilkinson suffered a hand injury in same game.
Nevertheless, coach Michael Bradley is able to call upon Frank Murphy, Fionn Carr, Robbie Morris and Mike McCarthy who all missed the match at Thomond Park.
Both coaches are due to finalise their teams on Friday.
Munster coach Tony McGahan has recalled Doug Howlett, Lifeimi Mafi and Alan Quinlan ahead of Saturday’s trip to Ravenhill.
Elsewhere, however, it would appear that McGahan intends to give fringe players another opportunity to stake their claims in the side.
The likes of Paul O’Connell, Tomas O’Leary, Ronan O’Gara, John Hayes and Donncha O’Callaghan are all afforded another night off while Ronan O’Gara also steps aside.
Connacht squad:L Bibo, A Browne, F Carr, S Cronin, A Flavin, J Hagan, I Keatley, R Loughney, K Matthews, M McCarthy, M McComish, R Morris, F Murphy, J Muldoon, T Nathan, G Naoupu, M Nikora, R Ofisa, J O'Connor, C O'Loughlin, M Swift, N Ta'auso, B Tuohy, B Upton, A Wynne.
Leinster squad:L Cullen, N Hines, T Hogan, B Jackman, S Keogh, R McCormack, J McGrath, K McLaughlin, S O'Brien, M O'Kelly, M Ross, P Ryan, R Strauss, D Toner, S Wright, S Berne, G D'Arcy, G Dempsey, S Horgan, D Kearney, S Keogh, I Madigan, F McFadden, I Nacewa, P O'Donohoe, E Reddan
Munster squad:S Deasy, D Hurley, D Howlett, I Dowling, T Gleeson, L Mafi, J de Villiers, P Warwick, D Williams, P Stringer, W du Preez, S Archer, J Brugnaut, T Buckley, D Varley, D Fogarty, M Sherry, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, A Quinlan, B Holland, N Ronan, T O'Donnell, N Williams.
