Cheika includes fringe players in Leinster squad

Fringe players Stephen Keogh, Gary Brown, summer signing Simon Keogh, Felix Jones and Fergus McFadden have been included in the Leinster squad to play Connacht in Sunday's Magners League clash at the Sportsground, Galway (KO: 6pm).

It will be a second chance for Rocky Elsom and CJ Van Der Linde to bed into their new playing environment alongside the likes of Ireland internationals Leo Cullen, Luke Fitzgerald, Trevor Hogan, Shane Horgan and Rob Kearney as well as Argentina's Felipe Contepomi.

Brian O'Driscoll, Girvan Dempsey, Ronan McCormack, Mal O'Kelly, Jamie Heaslip and Shane Jennings have been rested ahead of the Heineken opener away to Edinburgh on Saturday week.

Leinster Coach Michael Cheika knows from experience the ferocious physical task facing his players against Connacht on Sunday.

"The conditions were difficult last year and I think over the last three years we have gotten better against them down there. The Sportsground is a tough place to play no matter what the weather is like.

"We will take nothing for granted. We will tackle each game on its own merits and make sure that we play a good, structured, smart game against Connacht.

"It's a very important game for us in terms of how we are going to manage these next four weeks. We're going to look to use our whole squad over the next four weeks and we'll have to make sure that everyone makes a contribution to the team.

"Some guys are going to get an opportunity to get selected for Europe. So it's a big game, in all respects for us, because we know how tough it is to win down there. They'll be looking to bounce back from getting beaten away from home last weekend (against Cardiff), so we've got to be ready to fight for everything, but we've also got to play smart football.

"Some guys from the 'A' squad have put their hand up for selection so we'll see what happens there. Cian Healy picked up a knock in the 'A' game so we'll wait and see how he comes up when we pick the side."

LEINSTER (v Connacht):

Forwards (12): Cian Healy, Stan Wright, Brian Blaney, John Fogarty, CJ Van Der Linde, Leo Cullen, Trevor Hogan, Cameron Jowitt, Devin Toner, Rocky Elsom, Sean O'Brien, Stephen Keogh

Backs (11): Chris Keane, Chris Whitaker, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Simon Keogh, Fergus Mc Fadden, Luke Fitzgerald, Gary Brown, Shane Horgan, Felix Jones, Rob Kearney