Both Leinster and Connacht have named strong squads ahead of their Celtic League encounter at Donnybrook this Sunday.
Michael Cheika has lost Malcolm O’Kelly and Irish three-quarters Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan and Gordon D’arcy to a well-earned rest after the Wales game.
But wounded pride following defeat to the Dragons two weeks ago, no real injury concerns, and the presence of Denis Hickie, Rob Kearney and Girvan Dempsey ensure that the Lions remain a serious headache.
Connacht have four injury concerns ahead of the game, with Christian Short (hamstring), Matt Lacey (groin), Stephen Knoop (calf) and Conor McPhillips (groin) all giving Michael Bradley pause before selection.
The westerners have experienced a run of form recently and the 33-19 routing of Llanelli a fortnight ago has left Cheika in no doubt that the result is no foregone conclusion.
"There'll be no taking this opposition for granted," he said. "We struggled against them last year and I want to make sure that we perform here in Dublin."
Bradley's charges have fallen on their two previous visits to Donnybrook and last won there in September 2002 when a Mark McHugh drop goal at the death gave Connacht a famous 26-23 victory.
Leinster:
Forwards: Reggie Corrigan, Brian Blaney, Bernard Jackman, David Blaney, Will Green, Emmett Byrne, Ben Gissing, Devon Toner, Adam Byrnes, Bryce Williams, Eric Miller, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Niall Ronan, Cameron Jowitt.
Backs: Guy Easterby, Brian O'Riordan, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Hepworth, Kieran Lewis, Jonathan Sexton, Gary Brown, Robert Kearney, Girvan Dempsey, Denis Hickie.
Connacht:
Forwards: Ray Hogan, Dan McFarland, John Fogarty, Joe Merrigan, Adrian Clarke, Stephen Knoop, Andrew Farley, Christian Short, David Gannon, John Muldoon, Michael Swift, Matt Lacey, Brendan O'Connor, Colm Rigney.
Backs: Chris Keane, Tom Tierney, Paul Warwick, David Slemen, Keith Matthews, Andrew Mailei, John Hearty, Darren Yapp, Conor McPhillips, Ted Robinson, Matt Mostyn, Mark McHugh.
Referee: Olan Trevor (IRFU).
