Munster’s Joey Carbery has been left out of the squad as Graham Rowntree has made five changes to the team to play Stormers at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday (5.15pm – live on RTÉ and Premier Sports).
Loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman has recovered from a thigh injury and makes his first appearance since December in an all-changed front row.
Hooker Diarmuid Barron and tighthead prop Stephen Archer also come into the pack along with flanker Alex Kendellen.
There is one change to the backline as Conor Murray starts at scrumhalf. RG Snyman makes his second start in-a-row and his first URC start since his Munster debut in August 2020.
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Mike Haley starts at fullback with Calvin Nash, who made his 50th appearance last time out, and Shane Daly on either flank. Malakai Fekitoa and Antoine Frisch continue their centre partnership with Murray and Jack Crowley in the halfbacks.
Loughman, Barron and Archer pack down in the front row with Jean Kleyn and Snyman in the engine room. Captain Peter O’Mahony, Kendellen and Gavin Coombes complete the starting XV.
Scott Buckley, Keynan Knox, Ben Healy and Keith Earls come into the squad as replacements.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Malakai Fekitoa, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman; Peter O’Mahony (capt), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Scott Buckley, Josh Wycherley, Keynan Knox, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Craig Casey, Ben Healy, Keith Earls.
Connacht team
Connacht will welcome back six players from absences for Saturday’s clash with Cardiff at The Sportsground (7.35pm).
Captain Jack Carty, international Finlay Bealham, Denis Buckley, Jarrad Butler, Josh Murphy and Diarmuid Kilgallen have all overcome injuries to come straight into the starting XV.
Carty has missed the last three games with a hamstring issue, while Bealham hasn’t played since a knee injury sustained in Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations.
The seventh and final change from the side that lost to Benetton is the inclusion of Dylan Tierney-Martin, with Eoin de Buitléar named among the replacements.
Connacht: Tiarnan O’Halloran; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade; Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham, Josh Murphy, Niall Murray; Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Jarrad Butler.
Replacements: Eoin de Buitléar, Peter Dooley, Dominic Roberson-McCoy, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Kieran Marmion, Shane Jennings.
Leinster team
Leinster have named a second-string team to play Emirates Lions in the URC on Saturday afternoon (3pm, live on TG4 and Premier Sports) with young Irish star Sam Prendergast set to make his Leinster debut.
Rhys Ruddock captains the team in Johannesburg’s Emirates Airlines Park.
Chris Cosgrave starts at fullback, with Dave Kearney and Tommy O’Brien on the wings.
In the centre, Liam Turner is joined by Ben Brownlee. Prendergast makes his debut at outhalf, with Nick McCarthy partnering him at scrumhalf.
In the front row, Georgia international Vakhtang Abdaladze is set for his first Leinster start. He will pack down with Michael Milne and Lee Barron.
Brian Deeny joins South African international Jason Jenkins in the second row, with Ruddock, Will Connors and Max Deegan forming the backrow.
On the bench, five Academy players are set to feature with Alex Soroka, James Culhane, Ben Murphy, Charlie Tector and Rob Russell all looking to impress.
Leinster: Chris Cosgrave; Tommy O’Brien, Liam Turner, Ben Brownlee, Dave Kearney; Sam Prendergast, Nick McCarthy; Michael Milne, Lee Barron, Vakhtang Abdaladze, Brian Deeny, Jason Jenkins; Rhys Ruddock (capt), Will Connors, Max Deegan.
Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Ed Byrne, Thomas Clarkson, Alex Soroka, James Culhane, Ben Murphy, Charlie Tector, Rob Russell.
