Craig Casey, who captained Ireland in their two Tests against Georgia and Portugal in the summer, will lead Munster for the first time in Saturday’s URC game against the Scarlets in west Wales (5.30pm, live Premier Sports 1).
Hooker Niall Scannell will make his 200th appearance for the province while at the opposite end of the spectrum, Dan Kelly will make his debut having joined from the Leicester Tigers.
Jean Kleyn has fully recovered from the knee injury he sustained on international duty with the Springboks and starts in the secondrow. Five of Munster’s Ireland internationals who were on the summer tour are included. Casey and Alex Kendellen both start with Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes and Jack Crowley among the replacements.
Young Munster clubman Conor Bartley is in line for his Munster debut off the bench having joined the province last season after impressing in the AIL. Mike Haley, Shane Daly and Thaakir Abrahams make up the back three with Alex Nankivell and Kelly forming a new-look centre partnership.
RM Block
Jeremy Loughman, Scannell and Oli Jager pack down in the frontrow with Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room. Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen and Brian Gleeson start in the backrow.
Tom Farrell (calf), John Hodnett (cheek), Diarmuid Kilgallen (ankle), Michael Milne (calf), John Ryan (elbow) and Andrew Smith (chest) are short-term absentees while Roman Salanoa has stepped up his training load.
Seán Cronin will fulfil an additional role as senior scrum coach in addition to his position as a provincial talent coach.
MUNSTER: M Haley; S Daly, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, C Casey (capt); J Loughman, N Scannell, O Jager; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue, A Kendellen, B Gleeson.
Replacements: L Barron, J Wycherley, C Bartley, T Ahern, G Coombes, P Patterson, J Crowley, S O’Brien.
