The return of Quinn Roux provides a timely boost as the lock is named to play his first game of 2016, having recovered from the ankle injury sustained in early December.
John Muldoon, who missed his only PRO12 game of the season last weekend, has returned to captain the side wearing the Number 8 shirt.
Scrumhalf Kieran Marmion is named to start in a back line that also sees the reintroduction of Danie Poolman to the right wing.
Second row Danny Qualter is included among the replacements again having impressed in just his second PRO12 appearance at the Sportsground last weekend. Eoin McKeon and Fionn Carr are also named in the squad.
Commenting on the team announcement and the upcoming game, head coach Pat Lam said:
"It's good to have some of our international boys back again this week, including Whitey (Nathan White) who has performed really well for Ireland. That extra experience will be important against a side like Edinburgh who we've always had close encounters with. There is consistency in the way Edinburgh play - they are very physical, very direct, and they are a settled team with a lot of experienced players. Murrayfield is always tough but they've really made it into a fortress now having only lost there once this season.
"But we're traveling with confidence knowing that if we continue to focus on what we've been doing and the game plan we have in place, we can take another step closer to Champions Cup qualification."
Connacht team to face Edinburgh, Friday March 4th, 7:35pm
15 Tiernan O'Halloran
14 Danie Poolman
13 Bundee Aki
12 Craig Ronaldson
11 Matt Healy
10 AJ MacGinty
9 Kieran Marmion
1 Denis Buckley
2 Tom McCartney
3 Nathan White
4 Quinn Roux
5 Aly Muldowney
6 Sean O'Brien
7 Jake Heenan
8 John Muldoon (captain)
Replacements:
16 Dave Heffernan
17 Finlay Bealham
18 Rodney Ah You
19 Danny Qualter
20 Eoin McKeon
21 Caolin Blade
22 Peter Robb
23 Fionn Carr
Injured/Unavailable: Shane Delahunt, Andrew Browne, Ben Marshall, Nepia Fox-Matamua, Eoghan Masterson, John Cooney, Jack Carty, Dave McSharry, Rory Parata, Darragh Leader, Niyi Adeolokun.
Ireland Squad: Ultan Dillane, Robbie Henshaw
Edinburgh v Connacht
Friday March 4th
At BT Murrayfield, 7.35pm
Live on BBC ALBA / TG4
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Guinness PRO12 Connacht News
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