IRELAND Internationals Tom Ahern, Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes, Alex Kendellen and Michael Milne will be on duty for Munster in this Friday’s pre-season fixture with Bath at Virgin Media Park in Cork (7pm).
Ahern, Kendellen, and Milne all made their Ireland debuts in the summer.
New signings JJ Hanrahan, Dan Kelly, and Conor Ryan will also play their first home games since joining.
Conor Bartley and Academy flanker Michael Foy are set for their first senior Munster appearances with Ben O’Connor, Fionn Gibbons, Gordon Wood and Ronan Foxe making their first appearances of the campaign.
Six members of the Academy are named in the squad: Foy, O’Connor, Wood, Foxe, Max Clein, and Seán Edogbo.
Niall Scannell continues as captain having led the team for the first half in Gloucester with Casey, who skippered Ireland on the summer tour, to lead Munster for the first time when he takes to the field.
It’s a 38-man squad that have been chosen for the visit of the English champions.
Two teams have been named for the clash with game time to be split evenly.
A further eight players will feature as substitutes.
Munster will wear the new adidas home jersey.
Munster (Team 1): Shane Daly; Andrew Smith, Seán O’Brien, Dan Kelly, Diarmuid Kilgallen; JJ Hanrahan, Ethan Coughlan; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, captain, Oli Jager; Evan O’Connell, Tom Ahern; Ruadhán Quinn, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Munster (Team 2): Mike Haley; Ben O’Connor, Fionn Gibbons, Gordon Wood, Thaakir Abrahams; Tony Butler, Craig Casey (C); Michael Milne, Lee Barron, John Ryan; Conor Ryan, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Max Clein, Mark Donnelly, Conor Bartley, Ronan Foxe, Michael Foy, Seán Edogbo, Paddy Patterson, Shay McCarthy.
