HEAD coach Clayton McMillan has named the team for his first competitive home fixture, a URC outing with Cardiff at Thomond Park this Saturday (7.45pm).
Dan Kelly starts on his home debut and 200-cap Niall Scannell captains the side with six changes to the team that secured a bonus point win away to Scarlets at the weekend.
Jack Crowley makes his first start of the season along with Academy full-back Ben O’Connor, scrum-half Ethan Coughlan and the new-look back row of Tom Ahern, Ruadhán Quinn and Gavin Coombes.
O’Connor, Shane Daly and Thaakir Abrahams start in the back three as Alex Nankivell and Kelly continue their centre partnership.
Coughlan and Crowley start together in the half-backs for the first time.
The front five of the pack is unchanged. Jeremy Loughman, Scannell and Oli Jager pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.
Ahern, Quinn and Coombes complete the starting XV.
Unavailable were: Tom Farrell (calf), Mikey Milne (calf), John Ryan (elbow)
Andrew Smith (chest), JJ Hanrahan (concussion), Diarmuid Kilgallen (ankle), Mike Haley (thigh), Roman Salanoa (knee), John Hodnett (cheek),
Alex Kendellen (ankle), Conor Bartley (thigh) and Craig Casey (thigh).
Munster: Ben O’Connor, Shane Daly, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Jack Crowley, Ethan Coughlan; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, captain, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tom Ahern, Ruadhán Quinn, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Ronan Foxe, Jack O’Donoghue, Brian Gleeson, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Seán O’Brien.
