Connacht have made three changes to their side from that which lost to Ulster in the RaboDirect Pro12 for their opening Heineken Cup clash away to Harlequins on Friday, kick-off 8.00pm.
Eoin Griffin returns from a knock to take his place in the centre, a move that sees Gavin Duffy return to full-back and Tiernan O'Halloran move back to the wing.
21-year-old centre Dave McSharry hangs on to the No 12 shirt after an impressive display in Ravenhill. The half-back pairing of Paul O'Donohoe and Miah Nikora is also retained.
In the pack, the front row remains the same with Adrian Flavin scrumming down between Ireland Wolfhound Brett Wilkinson and U-20 World Cup winner Rodney Ah You.
The second row pairing of Michael Swift and Mike McCarthy remains the same. Swift shook off a knock that saw him depart the field early last Saturday and looks set to win his 205th cap for the province.
There is a new backrow with No 8 George Naoupu joined this week by John Muldoon and Ray Ofisa who both return to the starting line up.
It is an experienced side with five centurions in the pack (Wilkinson, Flavin, McCarthy, Swift & Muldoon) along with Gavin Duffy in the backs.
The replacements see Henry Fa'afili return to the squad after a knock that kept him out of the Ulster clash. He joins Niall O'Connor and Frank Murphy as the replacement backs, both of whom have featured in the competition previously with Ulster and the Leicester Tigers.
Ethienne Reynecke, Ronan Loughney and Dylan Rogers make up the front row replacements while Dave Gannon and TJ Anderson the other replacement forwards.
Connacht are relishing the task ahead of them, according to their back-row forward John Muldoon, who has also hailed the impact of Elwood.
"I don't think there will be the need for too many motivational words on the day," he said.
"We cannot wait for it. It is a massive challenge for us against the Premiership leaders, but having played them a fair few times in recent seasons (in the second-tier Challenge Cup) we know pretty much what to expect.
"We have managed to beat them once or twice, and we are all really looking forward to our first game in the Heineken Cup.
"Eric is a very passionate man who wears his heart on his sleeve and only wants the best for Connacht. The players feed off his energy and enthusiasm.
"In the professional era we have had Warren Gatland, Michael Bradley and now Eric, and all three have had hands in getting Connacht to where we are today.
"Warren went on to bigger and better things, but when he was with us we were in a tough place and he took us out of the doldrums, while Eric is now making sure we go further and further."
Connacht XV to face Harlequins:
15 Gavin Duffy (c)
14 Brian Tuohy
13 Eoin Griffin
12 Dave McSharry
11 Tiernan O'Halloran
10 Miah Nikora
9 Paul O'Donohoe
1 Brett Wilkinson
2 Adrian Flavin
3 Rodney Ah You
4 Michael Swift
5 Mike McCarthy
6 John Muldoon
7 Ray Ofisa
8 George Naoupu
Replacements:
16 Ethienne Reynecke
17 Ronan Loughney
18 Dylan Rogers
19 Dave Gannon
20 TJ Anderson
21 Frank Murphy
22 Niall O'Connor
23 Henry Fa'afili
