Diarmuid Barron is back in the Munster team ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup tie with the Exeter Chiefs.
The New Inn native missed last week’s game against Bayonne due to a neck injury but has been named to start at hooker for Graham Rowntree’s side.
Barron is one of six changes from last weekend, with Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch, Craig Casey, Stephen Archer and Jack O’Donoghue all coming in to start.
19-year-old Loughmore man Brian Gleeson is named on the bench and is in line to make his Champions Cup debut.
Munster defence coach and Tipp man Denis Leamy knows what to expect from Exeter:
“It’s just a big challenge around the physical exchanges again and they are masters at putting phase after phase together.
“They will offer challenges around the maul and the scrum, they have a very good kicking game, they’ve got one of the highest percentages for kicking the ball, they kick the ball well so our back three will be challenged.
“It’s just about putting everything that we want to do again back in place and that’s really what we are focusing on and how we can impact the game and challenge them.”
Kick-off on Sunday at Sandy Park is at 1pm.
Munster XV: Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Gavin Coombes, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Brian Gleeson, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Ben O’Connor.
