The two sides, who are meeting in the Heineken Champions Cup’s showpiece game for the second year running, also remain in the hunt for domestic silverware.

Leinster host interprovincial rivals Munster Rugby in the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-finals while La Rochelle, who are a point off Stade Toulousain at the summit of the TOP 14, visit Racing 92 in the penultimate round of regular season matches.

Leinster are seeking a third successive victory at the Aviva Stadium – the Heineken Champions Cup final venue – having beaten Toulouse in the semi-finals of EPCR’s elite competition before seeing off Cell C Sharks in the URC quarter-finals last weekend.

Head coach Leo Cullen has made seven changes from last weekend’s victory over Cell C Sharks as he looks to keep his squad fresh for the La Rochelle showdown, which will offer the chance to avenge last season’s defeat in Marseille.

Hooker Rónan Kelleher returns to start after four months out through injury, with prop Michael Ala’alatoa also coming into the front row. Flanker Will Connors is brought in while Jack Conan, who scored two tries against Toulouse a fortnight ago, is back at No.8.

Robbie Henshaw missed the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals with an injury but is restored at outside centre, with Tommy O’Brien and Jimmy O’Brien starting on the wing and at full-back respectively in a tweaked back three.

2022 EPCR Player of the Year Josh van der Flier, the leading try scorer in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, is among the replacements.

Leinster Rugby and Stade Rochelais play their last domestic games on Saturday before the Heineken Champions Cup final in Dublin on May 20.