Connacht head coach Pat Lam insists Friday’s clash with defending GUINNESS PRO12 champions Leinster will be the acid test of their revival this year. Connacht have begun the new season with back-to-back narrow victories over Newport Gwent Dragons and Edinburgh, to sit third in the table. But the men from Galway have never begun a season with three successive wins and have been defeated in their last 11 clashes with fellow Irish provinces. And Lam admits his side must hit top gear to stand any chance against a Leinster side that have won their last six clashes with Irish provinces. "Look at their side," said Lam. "That is the challenge; we have only two guys who have started internationals (John Muldoon and Robbie Henshaw). We know we are up against it, but we certainly won't lie down. "There is no doubt you put their squad up against ours, they should win every time, but if we perform well, we give ourselves a chance. "Some guys have the advantage when they have played 50 tests – it's easy – like riding a bike." Lam has made one change to his starting line-up for the clash at the Sportsground in Galway. Lock Aly Muldowney replaces Mick Kearney for his first start of the season. Irish qualified Muldowney joins the on-loan Quinn Roux in the second row partnership while Galway man John Muldoon will captain the side from the back row. There are no changes to the young back line with 22-year-old Jack Carty, who earned his first start against Leinster in Galway last season, keeping hold of the reigns at fly-half. Ireland international Kieran Marmion, who plays his 56th consecutive game since his debut in September 2012, makes up the half-back pairing. There are changes to the bench with uncapped academy hooker Shane Delahunt and prop Ronan Loughney named amongst the forwards replacements while Dublin-born Matt Healy could also make his first appearance of the season. For Leinster Fergus McFadden comes in to replace the injured Zane Kirchner and Rhys Ruddock starts his first game of the season. Ruddock is set to start wearing the No.6 jersey, with Dominic Ryan making a positional switch to No.7. Shane Jennings will start among the replacements and is just two games away from his 200th Leinster appearance. Last Saturday's man of the match, Jamie Heaslip, completes the back row and will captain Leinster. The rest of the front eight are as you were from last weekend. Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy start in the second row, with a front three of Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin and Mike Ross. Rob Kearney and Darragh Fanning start in the back three for the second match in a row, with McFadden coming in to replace Kirchner who will be out for two to three weeks. There are no changes in midfield or in the half-backs. Ian Madigan starts at inside centre, Brendan Macken at outside centre, Jimmy Gopperth at out-half and Isaac Boss at scrum-half. Gordon D'Arcy is named in a Leinster squad for the first time this season, starting from the bench. And replacement scrum-half Eoin Reddan insists there is no chance of his side underestimating their Irish rivals, despite their favourable head-to-head record. "They have got more continuity. They had a good pre-season and played a lot of rugby," he told the Irish Independent. "The lads they have are together and ready to go. They are smart. You will always expect a tough game down there. "Their decision-making is a lot better. That makes them a totally different prospect. "They are very happy with the ball whereas before we might go through 20 phases and come up with nothing against them. "They now have the ability to go through 10 or 15 phases against us now. "They have guys in there now who can make good decisions and not just front up physically but mentally be in the right place on Friday." At Sportsground, 7.35PM. Live on TG4 Referee: John Lacey (IRFU) Assistant Referees: Eddie Hagan-O’Connell, Olly Hodges (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: John Cole (IRFU) TMO: Seamus Flannery (IRFU)
