TADHG Beirne is set to make his 50th appearance for Munster when they play Connacht in the United Rugby Championship at Thomond Park on this Saturday night.
Beirne was named on the World Rugby Men’s 15s Team of the Year earlier in the week.
The fixture would appear to arrive too soon for the likes of Keith Earls, who only returned earlier this week to full-training after a two-month injury lay-off, but he is not named on the matchday squad.
Jean Kleyn, however, returns following an injury.
Peter O’Mahony will captain a side that welcome back Joey Carbery, Craig Casey and Calvin Nash, who all had been absent for a while due to international duty.
Academy lock Edwin Edogbo is amongst the replacements.
It’s only seven weeks since Munster and Connacht last met. On that occasion, the western province were 20-11 winners in Galway. In the sides’ last meeting in Limerick, Munster came out on top a little over a year ago.
Gianluca Gnecchi of Italy will referee, and kick-off is at 7.35pm with live coverage on TG4.
Elsewhere in the URC this weekend, Ulster host Zebre at Kingspan Stadium tonight (7.35pm) and Leinster have Glasgow as visitors to the RDS tomorrow, 3.15pm.
The Champions Cup begins for Munster with a visit from Toulouse to Thomond Park on Sunday, December 11.
Munster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Roman Salanoa; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (captain), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Edwin Edogbo, Jack O’Donoghue, Paddy Patterson, Jack Crowley, Gavin Coombes.
