Dan Parks will make his debut for Connacht in Friday's Irish derby against Leinster at the Sportsground.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Parks said that he is delighted to be fit for the highly anticipated fixture.
"With the injury it's been 16 weeks since I've played, now I'm dying to get out there. I never really lost it, but I feel revitalised. It's made me appreciate how much I still love playing and being around rugby," said Parks.
Connacht coach Eric Elwood has made a number of changes to his side as they prepare to take on the European Champions.
Robbie Henshaw replaces an injured Gavin Duffy at full-back. 19-year-old Henshaw earned his first competitive start in Glasgow last week and had made a notable impact from the bench in all three previous league matches.
Both Tiernan O'Halloran and Fetu'u Vainikolo return to their starting positions on the wing while Eoin Griffin joins Dave McSharry in the centre.
Up front, Brett Wilkinson makes way for Denis Buckley as loosehead prop while former Leinster prop Nathan White, who also captains the side, starts again as tighthead.
Michael Swift, who earns his 150th league appearance on the eve of this derby game, slots back into the second-row and is joined Mike McCarthy.
Eoin McKeon who started the last two weeks in the number eight position moves to blindside flanker and joins Johnny O'Connor and George Naoupu in the back-row.
Meanwhile, Ireland full-back Rob Kearney will make his first for Leinster this season. Kearney will make his 121st Leinster appearance for the province while Fergus McFadden starts on the right wing.
In midfield Gordon D'Arcy will be partnered by Brendan Macken, who scored a brace of tries last weekend, with Isa Nacewa moving to the left wing.
Ian Madigan is at fly-half with John Cooney on his inside.
In the pack, Shane Jennings leads the team and he is joined in the pack by Ben Marshall and Quinn Roux - with the South African lock set to make his second appearance for the province.
Heinke van der Merwe comes into the front-row, while the visitors can call on an all-Ireland international front-row off the bench in ex-Connacht hooker Sean Cronin, Cian Healy and Mike Ross.
Form: Connacht ended an unwanted run of ten straight defeats against fellow Irish provinces with their victory over Ulster at the Sportsground in April. Leinster have recorded three successive wins against the Dragons, Treviso and Edinburgh. The Leinstermen achieved a clean sweep of six straight wins against their Irish provincial rivals last season in the RaboDirect PRO12. Connacht have not beaten Leinster since a 27-13 victory at the Galway Sportsground on 21 April 2010.
The teams:
Connacht: 15 Robbie Henshaw, 14 Tiernan O'Halloran, 13 Eoin Griffin, 12 Dave McSharry, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Kieran Marmion, 8 George Naoupu, 7 Johnny O'Connor, 6 Eoin McKeon, 5 Mike McCarthy, 4 Michael Swift, 3 Nathan White (c), 2 Adrian Flavin, 1 Denis Buckley.
Replacements: 16 Jason Harris-Wright, 17 Brett Wilkinson, 18 Ronan Loughney, 19 Dave Gannon, 20 Willie Faloon, 21 Dave Moore, 22 Miah Nikora, 23 Mata Fifita.
Leinster: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Fergus McFadden, 13 Brendan Macken, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Isa Nacewa, 10 Ian Madigan, 9 John Cooney, 8 Leo Auva'a, 7 Shane Jennings (c), 6 Ben Marshall, 5 Tom Denton, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 Thomas Sexton, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Mike Ross, 19 Devin Toner, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Fionn Carr.
Date: Friday, September 28
Venue: Sportsground, Connacht
Kick-off: 20.00 (19.00 GMT)
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon
Assistant referees: David Wilkinson, Michael Black
Comments
Toulousain says...
i smell an upset here. except it wldn't really be an upset hehehe! connacht wld be disgusted to lose to a leinster 3rd xv given how well they played against quins and toulouse last year.
but once again, the result is IRRELEVANT. it's just another warm-up game yawn yawn zzzzzz
Posted 21:40 28th September 2012
melkdave says...
@BiggyFint
Sorry i mean no disrespect for Connacht really ,given the hadicap they are given by the IRFU every year in terms of funding ect ,i really do admire them.They play as a team ,for eachother just like it was in my day way back when it was all amateur and profesionalism wasnt even a dream ( yes im an old decrpid bugger now lol) and have fantastic supporters, i know also they have seen some glorious upsets Quins last year for one.I would love them to be given the same standing as Leinster /Munster in the IRFU eyes,Then maybe they could be challanging for silverware themselves.The not by merit was soley based just on their league posistion last year,i have no problem wth them taking the extra spot created by Leinsters win after all i can think of times a english or french club wasnt really worthy aswell going by the league porformance last year so peace ok It was ment to be taken a little tongue in cheek
Posted 17:28 28th September 2012
Rosbif says...
@carpelone, @melkdave, i admire you guys, i really do! you never take a backward step. a quality i used to treasure in my team mates when i used to play!!
i was rather vocal about the whole toulouse/edinburgh and leinster/clermont business back in august before all the hcup stuff kicked-off. i even bothered to do some research into the number of games played by important ball carriers, the size of squads, the rotation policies, the games won in the last 10-15 minutes due to freshness/tiredness etc, but my posts met with plain ridicule and incredulity. well, i've been quiet since. not because i agree. but because i get bored of insults and pointless arguments.
no matter what the result tonight, it is plain to everyone that leinster are at risk of being undercooked come the first round of hcup games. the flip-side is they will be fresher come the knock-out rounds. there's no right or wrong. no better or worse. it just is.
PS hope rob kearney goes well tonight. i looked at the forecast. rain and some wind. i can imagine easier places to play your first game in 3 months !!
Posted 16:49 28th September 2012
BiggyFint says...
Doh the previous post was directed at Melkdaves comment.... my bad
Posted 15:23 28th September 2012
BiggyFint says...
@ Beating Leinster proves they are worthy of a birth. Check the form books mate Connacht beat Leinster at the sports ground in 2010 and only lost to Leinster 15-13 in 2011 after a drop goal from Miah Nikora fell short. Connacht knocked Harlequins out of the HC last year and were very unlucky against Gloucester home and away.
@ Carpelone I think Leinsters newest recruit from Leeds said it best "This league is a faster tempo and that makes you a better all-round player. You make decisions and react quicker."
Posted 15:21 28th September 2012
leinster_damo says...
Friendly? Not a chance! It's a squad game and the squad players are getting a chance to show what they can do. All big teams rotate. Look at the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City etc in wendyball.........
Posted 13:57 28th September 2012
Carpelone says...
IRFU could well tell Leinster to make way for Connacht.
Sorry I cant take PRO12 games seriously, they look all like friendly match.
English and French have a point here.
Posted 12:42 28th September 2012
leinsterblue says...
must admit to being nervous ahead of this...in theory we should win, but the faltering start to the season means that our form is not great going into this...set piece will be the key to this - our scrum should stack up, but the lineout will be key...Cullen has been immense in the lineouts this season so it will be good to see how Roux and Denton perform...Marshall was great in the lineouts against the Dragons so here's hoping he can carry that into this game...delighted to see Macken retain his place - would love to see him in the Autumn internationals...hoping for a win, but expecting some squeaky bum time...
Posted 09:38 28th September 2012
Tombomb says...
"Though not on merit" they are in the comp on merit! As an Irish team won the hcup so ireland are entitled to an extra birth just like England France and Wales would be if they won the thing.
Posted 08:52 28th September 2012
Sincero says...
Connacht are indeed in there on merit, as the 4th Irish province.... given that we've won the cup 6 times this year.... which is 6 more times than any Welsh team. So Connacht there on merit, contrary to the expert there who thinks there's no league in Russia. Shut it you tart.
Tough game... should prove close-run.
Posted 05:45 28th September 2012
Richiedram says...
Personally i think Connacht will never get a better opportunity to beat a team with only 5 first teamers starting i will be backing them at 2/1 great price
Posted 20:59 27th September 2012
melkdave says...
Though i cant see it happening ,i do feel it would be wonderful for Connacht to win ,lol.And no im not having ago at Leinster or their fans .This year Connacht are again in the HEC ,though not on merit ,so beating the current HEC champions would go someway to proving they ae worthy of a berth imo,Also a few Leinster fans could faint from shock,which could be funny LOL(Just kidding on the last bit ok lol)Seriuosly though i expect an esy win for Leinster ,
Posted 14:40 27th September 2012