Connacht boss Pat Lam believes his side will have to play to international standard if they are to record a maiden victory over Leinster at the RDS. Lam’s charges are in good form, winning four on the bounce in all competitions, but they have not recorded five straight victories since 2002. With just one defeat in their last GUINNESS PRO12 outings – a 26-11 defeat to Ospreys in on October 31 – Connacht will head to Dublin in confident mood. And they will need to be as they chase a first ever league double over their Irish rivals, having beaten Matt O’Connor’s men 10-9 in Galway earlier this season. To do so they will need to record only their second win in Dublin since 1985 – and their first ever at the RDS – and Lam knows the scale of the task at hand. “We have never won before in the RDS and we have never ever done back-to-back from Leinster as well, so you can see the challenge we face,” he said. “We are excited by it, but we also know what a quality side Leinster are and it’s not easy. “Look at their squad, it’s full of internationals, and yes, Rhys Ruddock and Sean O’Brien are unfortunately injured for Leinster, but they have so much talent and with international experience to call on. “So we are going into a game which is pretty much closer to international standard; it is fifth playing sixth with fifth place pretty much up for grabs.” Centre Robbie Henshaw returns to GUINNESS PRO12 action for Connacht following his involvement for Ireland last month and he is partnered by Bundee Aki. Mils Muliaina is named at full-back while 22-year-old Jack Carty is handed the reins at fly-half for his first game at the RDS – Kieran Marmion, who scored Connacht’s try at the Dublin venue last year, resumes duties at scrum-half. John Muldoon will captain the side from a back row, with on-loan lock Quinn Roux in the second row behind the front-row trio of Denis Buckley, Tom McCartney and Rodney Ah You. Meanwhile, O’Connor makes seven changes from the Leinster team that beat Harlequins last weekend, with Dave Kearney back from injury to line up on the left wing, with Noel Reid coming in to partner Luke Fitzgerald in the centres. An all new front row comprises Michael Bent, Aaron Dundon and Tadhg Furlong while Shane Jennings and Kevin McLaughlin come in on the flanks – either side of captain Jamie Heaslip. Leinster's only defeat in their last eight fixtures in all tournaments was at Harlequins in Europe earlier this month. They have been victorious in their last 18 encounters at the RDS, since drawing their 29-29 with Ospreys in the GUINNESS PRO12 early last season. But the reigning champions have lost both encounters they have played against fellow Irish provinces this season and have only lost three successive matches against their fellow countrymen once before – in the 2003-04 season. And Leinster scrum-half Isaac Boss is eager not to dwell on an indifferent European fortnight, which was them lose to Harlequins in London before narrowly beating them at the RDS. “We have looked at Quins and we know where we could have done better,” he said. “We have to move on pretty quickly. We have Connacht, Munster, Ulster. “If we dwell too much on Quins and how we're going to beat Toulon later on, if we get them, then Connacht will come here and turn us over. “I'd back ourselves to beat anyone, anywhere – we have done it before. You know what I mean?” Follow us on Facebook, join the conversation on Twitter, sign up to our YouTube channel for extensive match highlights and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates on the GUINNESS PRO12 At RDS Arena, 7.35pm. Live on TG4 Referee: Ian Davies (WRU, 23rd competition game) Assistant Referees: Leo Colgan, Andy Brace (both IRFU) Citing Commissioner: Peter Ferguson (IRFU) TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)
