Munster have made five changes to their team for Saturday’s URC clash against DHL Stormers in Cape Town (5pm Irisih time)
Shane Daly, Conor Murray, John Ryan, Tom Ahern and Alex Kendellen all come into the starting XV with Jack O’Donoghue shifting from flanker to number eight.
Daly returns from an elbow injury to start on the left wing with Mike Haley at fullback and Calvin Nash on the rightwing.
Murray starts with Jack Crowley in the halfbacks on his 197th Munster appearance as Alex Nankivell and Tom Farrell continue their centre partnership.
Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell and Ryan pack down in the frontrow with Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne in the engine room.
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Ahern and Kendellen join Jack O’Donoghue in the backrow for their first starts of the season. Ahern returned from an ankle injury last week with Kendellen captaining Emerging Ireland on their recent tour to South Africa.
Academy players Kieran Ryan and Ruadhán Quinn are among the replacements with Billy Burns also included on his return from a shoulder injury.
Hooker Eoghan Clarke, Kieran Ryan and Stephen Archer provide the frontrow backup with Clarke in line for his first appearance of the season.
Fineen Wycherley and Quinn complete the forward cover.
Ethan Coughlan, Burns and Seán O’Brien are the backline replacements with Coughlan in line for his first Munster appearance of the season having toured with Emerging Ireland.
On the injury front, Craig Casey was unavailable due to a knock.
Stormers have named Damian Willemse at outhalf for their first home game of the season as star Springboks Manie Libbok, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are still missing from action
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Kieran Ryan, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Ruadhán Quinn, Ethan Coughlan, Billy Burns, Seán O’Brien.
Stormers: Warrick Gelant; Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (capt), Leolin Zas; Damian Willemse, Paul de Wet; Sti Sithole, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouché; Adré Smith, JD Schickerling; Marcel Theunissen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Keke Morabe
Replacements: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Sazi Sandi, Ruben van Heerden, Dave Ewwers, Louw Nel, Herschel Jantjies, Jurie Matthee.
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