Tipperary's Brian Gleeson could make his Champions Cup debut for Munster this Sunday!
New Inn's Diarmuid Barron is listed to start as the Munster team is named for Exeter game
Tipperary duo Diarmuid Barron and Brian Gleeson are part of the Munster squad named for the crunch Investec Champions Cup clash against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park (1pm, live on TNT Sports & ITV) this Sunday afternoon.
There are six personnel changes and three positional switches in total from the side that drew at Thomond Park with Bayonne last week.
Shane Daly, Antoine Frisch and Craig Casey come into the backline with Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer and Jack O’Donoghue starting in the pack.
Calvin Nash moves from full-back to wing, Gavin Coombes goes into the second row and Alex Nankivell moves to inside centre.
Daly starts at full-back with Nash and Seán O’Brien on either wing.
Nankivell and Frisch start together in midfield as Casey comes into the side at scrum-half to partner Jack Crowley.
Jeremy Loughman, Barron and Archer pack down in the front row with Coombes and captain Tadhg Beirne in the engine room.
Tom Ahern, John Hodnett and O’Donoghue complete the side. Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager are the front row replacements with Jager in line for his Champions Cup debut.
19-year-old Academy back-row forward Brian Gleeson is also set for his first Champions Cup appearance with Alex Kendellen completing the forward cover.
The Loughmore native, who learned his rugby trade at Rockwell College, has impressed at training in recent days and is tipped to play a key role this season.
Conor Murray, Rory Scannell and Ben O’Connor, another 19-year-old Academy man, are the backline replacements.
On the injury front, Fineen Wycherley was unavailable after picking up a knock in training. Peter O’Mahony (shoulder) and Academy lock Edwin Edogbo (neck) also miss out. The team is as follows:
Munster: Shane Daly; Calvin Nash, Antoine Frisch, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron, Stephen Archer; Gavin Coombes, Tadhg Beirne (C); Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Jack O’Donoghue.
Replacements: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Brian Gleeson, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray, Rory Scannell, Ben O’Connor.