Mack Hansen and Santi Cordero both start for Connacht in Saturday's BKT URC clash with Munster, while Pete Wilkins has handed debuts to three players.
Cian Prendergast captains the side with Hansen starting his first competitive match since a serious shoulder injury on New Year's Day.
Cordero comes straight into the starting XV after featuring for Argentina in the Rugby Championship, and Josh Murphy also starts his first game since May 2023 after completing his medical placement.
New half-back duo Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane, and Piers O’Conor at outside centre, make their Connacht bows at Thomond Park (5.30pm, live on RTÉ).
Prop Jack Aungier starts at tighthead alongside double centurions Denis Buckley and Dave Heffernan, while Joe Joyce and Darragh Murray are in the second row. Conor Oliver completes the pack as the openside flanker.
Cathal Forde is named at inside centre, while Shayne Bolton completes the back three on the left wing alongside Hansen and Cordero.
Meanwhile, for Munster, Thaakir Abrahams (above), Tom Farrell and Billy Burns all make their debuts, while Diarmuid Barron skippers the team.
Jean Kleyn makes a welcome return from a 10-month absence due to an eye injury and starts in the second row for Graham Rowntree's side.
Mike Haley is named at full-back, with Abrahams, and Shane Daly, who didn't miss a single minute of URC action last season, on either wing.
There are first-time half-back and centre partnerships as Craig Casey and Billy Burns start together, and Alex Nankivell and Farrell partner up in midfield.
Jeremy Loughman, Barron and John Ryan pack down in the front row, with Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.
Academy flanker Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes complete the starting XV.
Elsewhere, Iain Henderson (above) skippers Ulster as they welcome champions Glasgow to Belfast for a 7.45pm kick-off on Saturday night.
The Ireland forward starts alongside Kieran Treadwell in the second row.
The front row sees Eric O'Sullivan start at loosehead prop, John Andrew at hooker and Corrie Barrett, who signed a contract with the province this week, at tighthead prop.
Development talent James McNabney gets the nod at blindside flanker where he is joined by last season’s player of the year David McCann at openside flanker.
Nick Timoney starts at number eight.
After starting both pre-season friendlies against Benetton and Exeter Chiefs, scrum-half Nathan Doak and out-half Aidan Morgan line up together as the half-backs.
Jacob Stockdale starts on the left wing with Mike Lowry on the right.
Jude Postlethwaite, who was one of six Ulstermen named in the upcoming Emerging Ireland tour, starts at inside centre and is joined by Stewart Moore at outside centre.
Ethan McIlroy starts at full-back, completing the starting XV.
Murphy opts for a 5:3 split on the Ulster bench, with three players potentially in line for their debuts.
Two Development players, hooker James McCormick and fly-half James Humphreys, are in contention for appearances and new summer signing Werner Kok will also be hoping to make his debut in an Ulster jersey at Kingspan Stadium.
Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan and Cormac Izuchukwu provide the other forward replacements.
Dave Shanahan provides cover at scrum-half on the bench.
Munster: Mike Haley; Thaakir Abrahams, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Billy Burns, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Diarmuid Barron (capt), John Ryan; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Oli Jager, Jack O'Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Seán O’Brien.
Connacht: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O'Conor, Cathal Forde, Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Joe Joyce, Darragh Murray; Josh Murphy, Conor Oliver, Cian Prendergast (capt).
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Sean Jansen.
Ulster: Ethan McIlroy; Mike Lowry, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak; Eric O'Sullivan, John Andrew, Corrie Barrett; Iain Henderson (capt), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, David McCann, Nick Timoney.
Replacements: James McCormick, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Shanahan, James Humphreys, Werner Kok.
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Watch Munster v Connacht in the URC on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
