O’Mahony to lead Munster on return to the side

Zebo and Earls also return while Madigan named at fullback for Leinster

Peter O’Mahony will captain Munster away to Treviso. Photograph:  Billy Stickland/Inpho
Peter O’Mahony will captain Munster away to Treviso. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Peter O’Mahony will captain Munster on his return to the side for Friday night’s RaboDirect Pro12 game away to Treviso at Stadio di Monigo (7.30pm Irish time).

A number of other Irish internationals return to the starting XV, including backs Simon Zebo, Keith Earls and James Downey. In the pack O'Mahony is joined in the backrow by Niall Ronan, who makes his first start of the season, with Tommy O'Donnell ruled out with a knee injury.

Munster coach Rob Penney continues his squad rotation for the table toppers, with 11 changes in total from the 43-21 victory over Zebre last weekend.

Earls comes in on the right win, with Downey joining Casey Laulala at centre and Zebo starting on the left flank.

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There is also a change at halfback, where Ian Keatley and Duncan Williams take over from JJ Hanrahan and Cathal Sheridan.

Hooker Mike Sherry and loosehead Stephen Archer join David Kilcoyne in the frontrow, while Billy Holland makes his first start of the league season alongside Donnacha Ryan in the secondrow. James Coughlan starts at number eight in an all new backrow.

Ian Madigan will start his first game of the season at fullback in Leinster’s away clash against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night (7.35pm).

Madigan’s inclusion sees Dave Kearney move to the right wing and Darragh Fanning switch to the left flank, while Isaac Boss makes his first start alongside Jimmy Gopperth at halfback.

There is just one change to the pack from last weekend’s 29-29 draw with the Ospreys as Tom Denton comes into the secondrow in place of Devin Toner. Shane Jennings again captains the side.

Cian Healy and Rob Kearney are included on the bench, but former Australian winger Lote Tuqiri, who signed a short-term deal with Leinster on Wednesday, has not been included in the matchday 23.

MUNSTER (v Treviso): Denis Hurley; Keith Earls, Casey Laulala, James Downey, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Mike Sherry, Stephen Archer; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Peter O'Mahony (capt), Niall Ronan, James Coughlan. Replacements: Damien Varley, James Cronin, John Ryan, Donncha O'Callaghan, CJ Stander, Cathal Sheridan, JJ Hanrahan, Ivan Dineen.

TREVISO: Luke McLean; Christian Loamanu, Michele Campagnaro, Alberto Sgarbi, Ludovico Nitoglia; Mat Berquist, Edoardo Gori; Michele Rizzo, Enrico Ceccato, Alberto De Marchi; Antonio Pavanello (capt), Marco Fuser; Simone Favaro, Alessandro Zanni, Manoa Vosawai. Replacements: Giovanni Maistri, Ignacio Fernandez-Rouyet, Pedro Di Santo, Valerio Bernabò, Dean Budd, Robert Barbieri, Fabio Semenzato, Alberto Di Bernardo.

LEINSTER (v Glasgow): Ian Madigan; Dave Kearney, Brendan Macken, Gordon D'Arcy, Darragh Fanning; Jimmy Gopperth, Isaac Boss; Jack McGrath, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross; Mike McCarthy, Tom Denton; Kevin McLaughlin, Shane Jennings (capt), Jordi Murphy. Replacements: Aaron Dundon, Cian Healy, Martin Moore, Devin Toner, Dominic Ryan, Eoin Reddan, Noel Reid, Rob Kearney.

GLASGOW: Stuart Hogg; Sean Lamont, Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, DTH van der Merwe; Ruaridh Jackson, Chris Cusiter (capt); Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Jon Welsh; Jonny Gray, Tim Swinson; Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Richie Vernon. Replacements: Dougie Hall, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Ed Kalman, James Eddie, Josh Strauss, Henry Pyrgos, Scott Wight, Byron McGuigan.