Rugby:Ireland scrumhalf Peter Stringer will win his 200th cap for Munster when he takes to the field in Friday's Magners League clash with Ulster at Ravenhill. Stringer, who will be just the third Munster player to reach that milestone, is one of only eight retained in the starting XV from the win over Benetton Treviso.
Like his Ulster counterpart Brian McLaughlin, Tony McGahan is hamstrung by Ireland’s preparations for the autumn internationals, while he also has a raft of injuries and two suspensions (Lifiemi Mafi and Sam Tuituopo) to contend with.
He has therefore opted to give a first start to Ivan Dineen in the centre, while Academy contracted hooker Mike Sherry and development player Ian Nagle start in the second row.
There are two Academy players, hooker Sean Henry and wing Simon Zebo, on the bench alongside development youngsters Stephen Archer and Peter O'Mahony.
There is, however, a welcome return to action for Barry Murphy after a long lay-off through injury.
Stringer was one of three players released by Declan Kidney, meaning prop John Hayes and Johne Murphy are back in harness, with the latter set to start at outside centre beside Dineen.
Former All Black Doug Howlett will captain the side.
McLaughlin has been forced into some significant reshuffling of his own, with seven personnel changes and one positional for the visit of the table-toppers.
In the backline, Andrew Trimble and Paddy Wallace are both absent, meaning Nevin Spence comes in at inside centre, Ian Whitten moves outside him and Ian Humphreys takes his place at outhalf.
The pack shows five changes from the side that lost to Edinburgh, with Tom Court, Rory Best and Stephen Ferris all preparing for the autumn internationals, and BJ Botha injured (wrist).
Nigel Brady replaces Best and is joined in the frontrow by Bryan Young, who stands in for Botha.
Dan Tuohy loses out to lock Tim Barker, with the latter set to partner captain Johann Muller in the secondrow
In the backrow, Pedrie Wannenburg is named at blindside, with Willie Faloon at openside and Robbie Diack retaining his position at number eight.
Ulster (v Munster):A D'Arcy; M McCrea, I Whitten, N Spence, D McIlwaine; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; P McAllister, N Brady, B Young, J Muller (capt), T Barker, P Wannenburg, W Faloon, R Diack.
Replacements:A Kyriacou, J Cronin, A Whitten, D Tuohy, C Henry, P Marshall, N O'Connor, L Marshall
Munster (v Ulster):S Deasy; D Howlett, J Murphy, I Dineen, D Hurley; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, M Sherry, J Hayes; B Holland, I Nagle; A Quinlan, N Ronan, J Coughlan.
Replacements: S Henry, Darragh Hurley, S Archer, T O'Donnell, P O'Mahony, D Williams, B Murphy, S Zebo.