Josh Wycherley returns from a neck injury to start for Munster against Scarlets in Saturday's BKT URC clash at Thomond Park (5.15pm, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).
He is the only change to the side that beat Dragons 38-19 last time out.
Tom Ahern continues in the second row after returning from Ireland camp on Monday.
Academy full-back Ben O’Connor keeps his place in an unchanged backline and is one of three academy players in the squad along with replacements Kieran Ryan and Shay McCarthy.
O’Connor, Shane Daly and Diarmuid Kilgallen start in the back three with Rory Scannell and Tom Farrell in midfield. Ethan Coughlan and Billy Burns continue their half-back partnership.
Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager start in the front row with Ahern and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.
Captain Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes complete the side.
Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan and John Ryan provide the front row back-up as Brian Gleeson and John Hodnett complete the forward cover.
Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler and McCarthy are the backline replacements.
Munster: Ben O'Connor; Shane Daly, Tom Farrell, Rory Scannell, Diarmuid Kilgallen; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Oli Jager; Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue (capt), Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, John Ryan, Brian Gleeson, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.
Connacht, meanwhile, start five players who were training with Ireland during the Six Nations against Cardiff on Saturday night at the Dexcom Stadium (7.35pm).
Jack Aungier (above), captain Cian Prendergast, Ben Murphy, Cathal Forde and Shayne Bolton all return as the hosts aim to end a four-game losing streak in the competition.
Forde forms an all-Galway centre partnership with Hugh Gavin, who makes his first start for his home province after two replacement appearances in October, before then suffering an ankle injury which kept him out for over three months.
Josh Ioane starts at out-half, with Chay Mullins on the opposite wing to Bolton and Piers O’Conor at full-back.
In the pack, there’s an unchanged front row of Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan and Aungier, while Josh Murphy moves from the back row to the second row alongside Joe Joyce.
Prendergast starts at 6, with Shamus Hurley-Langton who makes his 50th appearance on the opposite flank and Paul Boyle at number 8.
Connacht: Piers O’Conor; Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin, Cathal Forde, Chay Mullins; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier; Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce; Cian Prendergast (capt), Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, Oisín Dowling, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, JJ Hanrahan, Santiago Cordero.
Academy prop Jacob Boyd (above) will make his Ulster senior debut in Treviso on Saturday evening (5.15pm) as the province take on Benetton.
Head coach Richie Murphy also welcomes back a trio of Ireland internationals, with Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole and Cormac Izuchukwu all included in the starting XV.
Boyd featured off the bench in last weekend’s friendly loss to Queensland Reds, and the 20-year-old will start at loosehead prop.
Herring and O’Toole will provide international level experience alongside him in the front row.
Alan O’Connor returns in the second row and will captain the side, with Izuchukwu joining him in the Ulster engine room.
Nick Timoney and David McCann continue at openside flanker and number 8 respectively, with Matty Rea getting the nod at blindside.
Behind the pack, scrum-half Nathan Doak and fly-half Aidan Morgan make up the half-back partnership.
After completing their comebacks from injury lay-offs against the Reds, Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and James Hume all return to competitive action in the Ulster backline.
McCloskey and Hume resume a familiar midfield partnership, with Stockdale named on the left wing, joining right wing Michael Lowry and full-back Stewart Moore in the back three.
Another prop, Bryan O’Connor, is also in line to earn his first Ulster cap from the bench.
John Andrew, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell and Reuben Crothers are the other forward replacements, with Dave Shanahan, Jake Flannery and Jude Postlethwaite named as the backline options.
Ulster: Stewart Moore; Michael Lowry, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, Nathan Doak; Jacob Boyd, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, David McCann.
Replacements: John Andrew, Bryan O’Connor, Scott Wilson, Kieran Treadwell, Reuben Crothers, Dave Shanahan, Jake Flannery, Jude Postlethwaite.
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Watch Munster v Scarlets in the URC on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
