There's a reshuffle in the back row as Mick Kearney moves to number 6 and John Muldoon, who earns his 195th Connacht cap tomorrow, is named at number 7.
On the bench, props Rodney Ah You and JP Cooney as well as flanker Mata Fifita are included in the forwards' replacements. All three featured for the Connacht Eagles in last Saturday's challenge game against Russian side Enisei STM and Ah You and Fifita both touched down for tries.
With the Connacht v Treviso fixture rearranged for April 26th, there are now four games to be played in the RaboDirect PRO12, and therefore a maximum of 20 match points left to play for. And so, the push for a best ever finish in the league will intensify over the final weeks.
Earlier in the week, Head Coach Eric Elwood spoke about the importance of this week's game:
"Edinburgh is a huge game for us and it is still our intention to better last year's finish in the league.
"We have Treviso to play away and we've two tough games to finish in Ulster and Glasgow who are in the top four. But we still have a hell of a lot to play for in those four games. There are a lot of things still in our control. We are still looking for that betterment and that improvement year on year. And that's very much a target in our sights. It starts this weekend now in Edinburgh."
Connacht XV
15. Robbie Henshaw
14. Danie Poolman
13. Eoin Griffin
12. Brian Murphy
11. Gavin Duffy (captain)
10. Dan Parks
9. Kieran Marmion
1. Brett Wilkinson
2. Adrian Flavin
3. Ronan Loughney
4. Michael Swift
5. Mike McCarthy
6. Mick Kearney
7. John Muldoon
8. George Naoupu
Replacements: Ethienne Reynecke, Rodney Ah You, JP Cooney, Andrew Browne, Mata Fifita, Paul O'Donohoe, Miah Nikora, Fetu'u Vainikolo
Unavailable due to injury: Denis Buckley, Willie Faloon, Eoghan Grace, Jason Harris-Wright, Eoin McKeon, Dave McSharry, Frank Murphy, Dave Nolan, Kyle Tonetti, Nathan White.
Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht Rugby
At Murrayfield, 7.30pm.
Referee: Rhys Thomas (WRU, 1st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Peter Allan, TBC (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: John Kirk (SRU)
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