Mack Hansen will make his first Connacht appearance of the season in tomorrow's BKT United Rugby Championship derby with Leinster at a sold-out Sportsground (7.35pm).
The Ireland winger is among seven players who come into the starting XV from last weekend's 53-27 loss to the Bulls.
Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan and Jack Aungier form an all-new front row, while Cian Prendergast comes back into the side at blindside flanker.
Oisin Dowling, making his 50th appearance, moves to the second row to play alongside Darragh Murray, while Seamus Hurley-Langton and number 8 Sean Jansen complete the pack.
Scrum-half Caolin Blade captains the side while JJ Hanrahan is at out-half.
Byron Ralston moves from the wing to outside centre where he’s partnered with Cathal Forde, while Hansen, Diarmuid Kilgallen and full-back Tiernan O’Halloran complete the back three.
There’s another 6:2 split on the bench, including Paul Boyle who could feature for the first time this season, and scrum-half Michael McDonald who will make his debut if called upon.
Meanwhile, Scott Penny (above) returns to captain the Leinster team after last Saturday's 21-16 win over Munster at the Aviva Stadium.
Hooker Rónan Kelleher is in line to make his 50th appearance for Leinster.
After replacing the injured Ross Byrne in last week's victory, Ciarán Frawley starts in Galway at full-back.
Rob Russell and Jamie Osborne are on the wing.
It’s Osborne’s first start on the wing in over a year, having already featured at 12 and 13 this season, while Russell is set for his first start of the campaign.
Charlie Ngatai and Robbie Henshaw are partnered together in the centre for the first time this season, while Ben Murphy and Harry Byrne start together for the first time in the half-backs.
In the pack, Kelleher is joined in the front row by the returning Ed Byrne and Michael Ala’alatoa.
Byrne missed the opening six weeks of the season with a hamstring injury.
Ryan Baird and Jason Jenkins are in the second row, while Penny is joined by Max Deegan and James Culhane in the back-row.
In the replacements, Cian Healy is set to make his first Leinster appearance of the season, after missing the Rugby World Cup through injury.
Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Mack Hansen, Byron Ralston, Cathal Forde, Diarmuid Kilgallen; JJ Hanrahan, Caolin Blade; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Darragh Murray, Oisin Dowling; Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Seán Jansen.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Denis Buckley, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray, Paul Boyle, Michael McDonald, David Hawkshaw, Conor Oliver
Leinster: Ciarán Frawley; Rob Russell, Robbie Henshaw, Charlie Ngatai, Jamie Osborne; Harry Byrne, Ben Murphy; Ed Byrne, Rónan Kelleher, Michael Ala'alatoa; Ryan Baird, Jason Jenkins; Max Deegan, Scott Penny (capt), James Culhane.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Jack Conan, Cormac Foley, Liam Turner, Will Connors.
Elsewhere, Ulster have been hit with yet more injuries and are without Iain Henderson (hip) and Luke Marshall (shoulder), who both sustained injuries in last weekend's 33-20 defeat against Glasgow Warriors, for their round seven clash with Edinburgh tomorrow afternoon in Belfast (5.15pm).
Jake Flannery (groin) was injured during the warm-up for the same game, and he too is unavailable as is Rob Herring due to a calf injury that he suffered in training last week.
There is, however, a home debut for Springboks prop Steven Kitshoff.
Double World Cup-winner Kitshoff will get his first run out in front of a Kingspan Stadium crowd, alongside last season’s URC’s top try-scorer Tom Stewart, and Tom O’Toole in the front row.
Leading the Ulster men out in front of a home crowd is Alan O'Connor, who is joined in the second row by Ireland international Kieran Treadwell.
The number 8 jersey belongs to James McNabney, who made his debut last weekend, as one of 12 players to secure their first cap for the province so far in the 2023/24 season.
He is supported by Matty Rea and Nick Timoney in the back row.
John Cooney and Billy Burns are the half-backs, while Stuart McCloskey is named at inside centre with James Hume at 13.
Will Addison, after making a return from long-term injury last week, is named at full back. Jacob Stockdale and Rob Baloucoune on the wings complete the starting line-up.
Ulster: Will Addison; Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Billy Burns, John Cooney; Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O'Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, James McNabney.
Replacements: John Andrew, Andy Warwick, Marty Moore, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Ewers, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham.
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