MUNSTER HAVE rejigged their pack for the visit of Italian League debutants Aironi to Musgrave Park on Saturday, with Mick O’Driscoll and Billy Holland forming a new secondrow combination and Niall Ronan starting at openside.
Donnacha Ryan reverts to blindside flanker, to the exclusion of Alan Quinlan, who thus joins returning internationals John Hayes and Marcus Horan on the bench.
In the ongoing absence of the injured Paul O’Connell, Keith Earls and the rest of their international contingent who are still in pre-season, the fully fit again Denis Leamy continues to captain the side.
There are competitive debuts for ex-All Blacks centre Sam Tuitupou and ex-Leicester utility back Johne Murphy in midfield, while Felix Jones’ good pre-season form earns him the fullback spot in his first competitive outing in almost 11 months.
Meanwhile, Munster include three Academy players, outhalf Gareth Quinn-McDonagh and centres JJ Hanrahan and Corey Hircock in their under-20 side for the interprovincial against Ulster at the Mardyke (7pm).
As expected, Aironon have picked a highly experienced tight five, featuring Italian internationals Fabio Ongaro and Salvatore Perugini alongside Alberto de Marchi in the frontrow, and fellow Azzurri men Carlo Del Fava and skipper Quintin Geldenhuys in the secondrow.
In the backrow, Jaco Erasmus and Gareth Krause pack down either side of ex-Munster number eight Nick Williams. Tito Tebaldi and Ludovic Mercier start at halfback, with the French outhalf recovered from an ankle injury he suffered in the 38-5 defeat in Northampton last week.
Des Fountain and Quartaroli play at centre while 12 times capped French International Julien Laharrague is the fullback.
MUNSTER (v Aironi):F Jones; D Howlett, S Tuitupou, J Murphy, I Dowling; P Warwick, P Stringer; W du Preez, D Varley, T Buckley, M ODriscoll, B Holland; D Ryan, N Ronan, D Leamy (capt). Replacements: D Fogarty, M Horan, J Hayes, A Quinlan, P OMahony, D Williams, S Deasy, D Barnes.
MUNSTER U20s:J Holland, L Kuntz, C Hircock, JJ Hanrahan, C Quinn, G Quinn-McDonagh, R Barry, N Scannell, K O'Byrne, P Mullen, S Buckley, T Goggin, C O'Flaherty, S Hanbidge, L Cahill. Replacements: J Rael, J Randles, D O'Mahony, R O'Herlihy, E O'Shaughnessy, D Horgan, J Costigan.
