Munster have made four changes to the team that took a 35-33 victory in their United Rugby Championship opener against Connacht last weekend as the province prepares to head to Parma to face Zebre (Saturday, 3pm Irish time) in round two.
Tony Butler comes in at outhalf for the injured Billy Burns, who was forced off with a shoulder injury in the 54th minute of Saturday’s game at Thomond Park.
Also getting the call up to the starting ranks are Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager, slotting into the frontrow alongside captain Diarmuid Barron, and Calvin Nash is in on the wing.
Gavin Coombes will make his 100th appearance for the province, lining out in the backrow with Ruadhán Quinn and John Hodnett, while Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley make up the rest of the pack.
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Craig Casey partners 22-year-old Butler at half-back, Tom Farrell and Shane Daly man inside and outside centre, Thaakir Abrahams moves to the left wing to partner Nash, and Mike Haley retains his spot at fullback.
Still in search of their first win of the new season, Connacht will host the Sharks in Galway (Saturday, 7.35pm), also making four changes to last week’s team.
Finlay Bealham will start in the frontrow, taking the place of Jack Aungier as he travels to South Africa as part of the Emerging Ireland squad alongside Darragh Murray, who is replaced in the secondrow by debutant David O’Connor.
Niall Murray will pair O’Connor, replacing the injured Joe Joyce, and Shane Jennings fills in on the wing after Shayne Bolton was ruled out.
And it’s a big one for Denis Buckley, making his 250th appearance for his home province, named to start in the frontrow.
Munster (v Zebre – Saturday, 3pm Irish time, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi): Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Thaakir Abrahams; Tony Butler, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Jack Daly, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Bryan Fitzgerald, Shay McCarthy.
Connacht (v Sharks – Saturday, 7.35pm, Dexcom Stadium): Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Niall Murray, David O’Connor; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt).
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Paul Boyle.
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