Heineken European Cup final: Declan Kidney has made the tough calls and opted to start with the same side that beat Saracens in tomorrow's Heineken European Cup final against Toulouse at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Scrumhalf Tomas O'Leary has been preferred to the experienced Peter Stringer, while Anthony Foley has again been left out of the matchday squad.
Kidney's decision to include the more physical O'Leary, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury, is most likely down to the presence of Kiwi Byron Kelleher in the Toulouse number nine shirt.
Foley, who has made more appearances in the competition than any other player, must watch from the stands, while youngster Keith Earls and prop Tony Buckley have been called on to the bench in the only changes to the squad.
After recovering from a back injury Mick O'Driscoll is also named among the replacements, while Buckley's inclusion comes at the expense of Italian prop Federico Pucciariello, who has been suffering from a stomach bug.
The vote of confidence in Earls means Kieran Lewis and Shaun Payne miss out.
"The feelings of excitement are palpable," said Kidney today. "We are under no illusions about tomorrow. Everyone really models themselves on Toulouse and the passion and the skill they play with.
"They present the ultimate challenge, but it has been like that for us ever since the pool draw was made 11 months ago."
"We have to roll up our sleeves and go to work again," Kidney added. "It doesn't get any easier but it is an absolute privilege to be involved."
Three-time winners Toulouse have been denied the guile and experience of Clement Poitrenaud and Vincent Clerc but with the wealth of talent at his disposal Guy Noves has named a formidable side, if a touch surprising.
Maleli Kunavore will partner Yannick Jauzion in the centre, meaning Florian Fritz must settle for a place on the bench alongside tighthead Jean-Baptiste Poux, who loses out to Salvatore Perugini.
On the right wing, this season's try-machine Maxime Medard starts, with Yves Donguy on the left and Cedric Heymans at fullback.
Perugini joins William Servat and Daan Human in the frontrow, while flanker Thierry Dusautoir and number eight Shaun Sowerby will target the Munster lineout with the locks Fabien Pelous and Patrice Albacete.
"Munster and Toulouse both have great rugby traditions, and both have used those traditions to build cycles of success," said captain Pelous this afternoon, addind that his side's "special relationship" with the competition made it easy to "keep our desire."
Munster: D Hurley; D Howlett, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt); A Quinlan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: F Sheahan, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, D Ryan, P Stringer, P Warwick, K Earls
Toulouse: C Heymans; M Medard, M Kunavore, Y Jauzion, Y Donguy; J-B Elissalde, B Kelleher; D Human, W Servat, S Perugini; F Pelous (capt), P Albacete; J Bouilhou, T Dusautoir, S Sowerby Replacements: A Vernet Basualdo, J-B Poux, R Millo-Chluski, Y Nyanga, F Fritz, M Ahotaeiloa, V Courrent
Referee: Nigel Owens
