John Kelly will captain Munster in Friday’s Magners League opener against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park.
Kelly will play in the centre along with James Downey who makes his competitive debut.
Munster ended their campaign last May with a huge win over the Blues at Thomond Park on a night of celebration a week after the Heineken Cup success.
But coach Declan Kidney is without all his international squad members, though Tomas O’Leary is available at scrum-half and will partner rising star Jeremy Manning.
Welsh international Chris Wyatt will face his former team-mates in his first competitive game for Munster.
Trevor Halstead, Jerry Flannery and Eugene McGovern have been sidelined by injury.
MUNSTER v Cardiff Blues, Friday 1 September, Arms Park, 7.10pm:
C Cullen, S Payne, J Kelly, J Downey, I Dowling; J Manning, T O’Leary; D Hurley, F Sheahan, F Pucciariello; D Ryan, C Wyatt; R Noonan, J O’Sullivan, J Coughlan
Replacements:
S Cronin, T Ryan, S O’Connor, B Cuttriss, G Hurley, E Hickey, M Lawler
