Ireland international Peter O’Mahony has returned from injury to start for Munster against the All Blacks XV at Thomand Park on Saturday.
The 35-year-old flanker, who has also been named in the Ireland squad for next week’s meeting with New Zealand in Dublin, opted to miss the warm weather training camp in Portugal to stay home and regain match fitness with his club.
This will be O’Mahony’s second appearance of the season after a hamstring injury against Ospreys at the start of the month kept him out of the last three games.
His inclusion is one of eight changes made by interim head coach Ian Costello from Saturday’s 41-24 URC defeat by the Sharks.
That game proved to be Graham Rowntree’s last in charge after five years with the province.
Diarmuid Barron captains the side, while Diarmuid Kilgallen will make his long-awaited Munster debut on the left wing after he missed the start of the season through injury.
With regular starters Craig Casey and Jack Crowley away with Ireland, Ethan Coughlan and Billy Burns start as the new half-back combination.
Scrum-half Paddy Patterson is in line for his first appearance since New Year’s Day as he returns from a long-term knee injury after being named among the replacements.
Six academy players are included in the 23-man squad with Evan O’Connell poised for his first Munster appearance off the bench.
Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; John Ryan, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Stephen Archer; Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern; Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Ronan Foxe, Evan O’Connell, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Ben O’Connor.
All Blacks XV: George Bower, Brodie McAlister, George Dyer, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Fabian Holland, Oliver Haig, Du’Plessis Kirifi (capt), Devan Flanders, Finlay Christie, Harry Plummer, Kini Naholo, Quinn Tupaea, AJ Lam, Chay Fihaki, Shaun Stevenson.
Replacements: Bradley Slater, Xavier Numia, Marcel Renata, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Corey Kellow, Noah Hotham, Josh Jacomb, Ruben Love
