The Munster team has been named ahead of Saturday’s URC clash with the Vodacom Bulls.
The game will be Munster’s first game of the season at Thomond Park, with kick-off at 7.35pm.
Six changes have been made to the team that lost to Connacht last week, whilst seven of the nine Munster players who were on the Emerging Ireland tour also return to the matchday squad.
Among those returning is Cashel’s Diarmuid Barron who is among the replacements whilst academy players Edwin Edogbo and Patrick Campbell both start.
Joey Carbery moves to out-half whilst Jack Crowley is among the replacements, meaning there’s no spot for Nenagh’s Ben Healy in the squad.
Tipperary native and Munster defence coach Denis Leamy says that despite recent poor results, the team is heading in the right direction:
“Obviously results haven’t been what we’d like them to be, that is a fact but I think the spirit around the group is really good, the energy is good.
“We had a very good reset on Monday, lots of good chats, discussions, building plans, learnings, all those things that go on and it was a really good day.
“We are really excited about playing what is an unbelievable side coming to Thomond Park in the Bulls.
“Loads to be excited about, it hasn’t been what we have wanted it to be to date but we believe in it and we believe we are getting better and better.”
Munster XV: Patrick Campbell; Calvin Nash, Malakai Fekitoa, Dan Goggin, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Edwin Edogbo; Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony (C), Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Roman Salanoa, Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, John Hodnett.
