Two teams in serious need of a bonus point victory at the RDS Arena before a wait and see Saturday to see where they stand in the final URC shake-up.
Of course, only won team can be victorious and, on balance, Connacht’s need is greater. Currently 10th in the table, they need the five points before then hoping results elsewhere go their way.
“Although disappointed we have put ourselves in a position where we are relying on other results to secure our place in the URC top eight, there is no greater incentive for a performance than an away game against Leinster,” said Wilkins, who is without Bundee Aki and putting his faith in a young back line.
At one end of the scale, Leitrim’s Shane Mallon makes his debut for the senior side and lines out in the back three along with Argentina international Santiago Cordero – who makes his first start for the province after long-term injury.
In the pack, hooker Dave Heffernan makes his 200th appearance for the westerners.
Meanwhile, Leinster want the five points to stay in the hunt for a top two berth and home passage as far as the semi-finals, but they are unlikely to stop Munster, the Bulls and Glasgow from pushing them down to third or fourth.
Only Jamie Osborne is retained from the starting line-up in last Saturday’s Champions Cup final but six of that matchday squad are in the 23 this week.
“It’s an unusual scenario,” said Leo Cullen, who said that Garry Ringrose saw a specialist on Friday over his shoulder issues. “We know that we have a home quarter-final at the Aviva next week, we don’t know who the opponent is, we don’t know what day it’s on.
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