The Munster side has been named for Sunday’s Champions Cup clash away to Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.
Hooker Niall Scannell starts on his 150th Munster appearance with four personnel changes and one positional switch following last weekend’s clash against Toulouse.
Jack Crowley, Keith Earls, Conor Murray and Jack O’Donoghue come into the side with captain Peter O’Mahony moving to openside flanker.
Crowley, who has just signed a two-year contract extension, starts for Munster at inside centre for the first time and forms a new midfield partnership with Antoine Frisch.
Earls makes his second start of the season on the left wing and joins Mike Haley and Calvin Nash in the back three.
Murray partners Joey Carbery in the half-backs.
The front five is unchanged with Jeremy Loughman, Scannell and John Ryan in the front row as Jean Kleyn and Tadhg Beirne start in the second row.
O’Donoghue, who has also signed a new two-year contract, O’Mahony and Gavin Coombes complete the starting XV.
Dave Kilcoyne comes into the squad among the replacements and is in line to make his first appearance since October.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Jeremy Loughman, Niall Scannell, John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Jack O’Donoghue, Peter O’Mahony (C), Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Dave Kilcoyne, Roman Salanoa, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Craig Casey, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly.
Meanwhile, Munster’s Christmas URC Interpro derby against Leinster has sold-out 10 days ahead of the fixture with a capacity 25,600 crowd to attend Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.
It is set to be the first Christmas Interpro at Thomond Park since December 2019 with the 2020 and 2021 editions both postponed until early in the following year.
A 21,884 crowd attended Munster v Toulouse last week, the highest attendance across the opening round of Champions Cup fixtures.
Iain Henderson and John Cooney return for Ulster for tomorrow's clash with defending champions La Rochelle, which is due to take place in Belfast.
A final call on the pitch at Kingspan Stadium will be made this afternoon
James Hume and Jacob Stockdale both miss out and are replaced by Luke Marshall and Rob Lyttle.
Leinster will look to make it back-to-back pool wins tonight when they face Gloucester at the RDS
Johnny Sexton's on the bench so Garry Ringrose will captain the team and starts in the centre alongside Charlie Ngatai once again.
Kick off at the RDS is 8.
At the same time, Connacht are away to Brive in the Challenge Cup.
Connacht - who also started their campaign with a win last weekend - have Bundee Aki back in their starting 15.
=====
