Leinster have made 12 changes to their side for Saturday's BKT United Rugby Championship Interpro against Ulster at Aviva Stadium, although head coach Leo Cullen has retained several of his frontline internationals across his matchday squad.
Joe McCarthy, Garry Ringrose and Tommy O'Brien all stay in the starting team, with Robbie Henshaw and Jamie Osborne also coming in, while Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman and Sam Prendergast are among a deep bench for the league leaders.
Cullen has changed his full front row, but all three starters are Ireland internationals, with Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson all starting.
Joe McCarthy is retained in the second row, where he's joined by Diarmuid Mangan, who made his Champions Cup debut against Glasgow a week ago.
Alex Soroka, Scott Penny and James Culhane form a new back row trio.
Leinster will go with experience in the half-backs, as captain Luke McGrath teams up with Ciaran Frawley, while Ringrose and Henshaw are paired in the centre.
Jamie Osborne returns to the team at full-back, with Tommy O'Brien on the right wing, and Jimmy O'Brien named on the left.
Ulster coach Richie Murphy welcomes back Cormac Izuchukwu (below), and centre, Jude Postlethwaite, into the starting XV after their respective injuries.
Izuchukwu is the only change to the forward pack that started the Investec Champions Cup knockout defeat against Bordeaux, with captain Alan O'Connor joining him in the second row lock pairing.
The front row sees Andrew Warwick starting at loosehead prop, Rob Herring starting at hooker and Tom O’Toole at tighthead prop. In the unchanged back-row, James McNabney starts at blindside flanker, with Nick Timoney at openside flanker and David McCann starting at eight.
In a change to the half-back partnership, Nathan Doak comes in at scrum-half to start alongside Jack Murphy at fly-half. In the midfield, Postlethwaite returns to action at outside centre, alongside Ireland international, Stuart McCloskey at inside centre.
Fresh after scoring two well-worked second half tries in Bordeaux, Zac Ward starts again on the right wing, with Jacob Stockdale looking to provide the threat from the left flank. Mike Lowry completes the back three at full-back.
Leinster: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O'Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O'Brien; Ciarán Frawley, Luke McGrath; Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Diarmuid Mangan; Alex Soroka, Scott Penny, James Culhane
Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Fintan Gunne, Sam Prendergast, Liam Turner
Ulster: Michael Lowry; Zac Ward, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole; Alan O’Connor (capt), Cormac Izuchukwu; James McNabney, Nick Timoney, David McCann
Replacements: Tom Stewart, Callum Reid, Scott Wilson, Matthew Dalton, Kieran Treadwell, John Cooney, Stewart Moore, Matty Rea.
Lee Barron (above) comes straight into the Munster squad for their meeting with the Bulls at Thomond Park on Saturday (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).
The hooker, who has arrived on loan from Leinster ahead of a permanent move this summer, is named on the bench as a replacement for his namesake Diarmuid, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Ian Costello has made four changes to his side from last week's Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux-Begles, as Diarmuid Barron, Gavin Cooombes, John Hodnett and Calvin Nash all miss out with knocks.
Niall Scannell starts at hooker, where he packs down between props Josh Wycherley and Oli Jager, while Jean Kleyn and captain Tadhg Beirne continue in the second row.
Tom Ahern replaces Hodnett at flanker, starting on the blindside as Peter O'Mahony moves across to the openside, while Alex Kendellen comes in for Coombes at the base of the scrum.
Craig Casey and Jack Crowley lead from the half-backs, with Tom Farrell and Alex Nankivell teaming up again in the centre.
Seán O'Brien starts on the right wing in place of Nash, while Thaakir Abrahams and Andrew Smith complete the side.
Costello has gone for a 6:2 bench slit to combat the Bulls' powerful pack, with Conor Murray and fit-again Diarmuid Kilgallen the backline replacements.
Munster Rugby: Thaakir Abrahams; Seán O'Brien, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Niall Scannell, Oli Jager; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne (capt); Tom Ahern, Peter O’Mahony, Alex Kendellen.
Replacements: Lee Barron, Mark Donnelly, Stephen Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Jack O’Donoghue, Conor Murray, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Ruadhán Quinn.
Connacht have made 11 changes for their first game since the official departure of head coach Pete Wilkins, as Cullie Tucker's injury-hit squad take on the Stormers in Cape Town (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player)..
Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Josh Ioane, Denis Buckley and Shayne Bolton are among those who miss out due to injury.
Jack Carty starts at out-half and makes his first appearance since January, while Ben Murphy is retained at scrum-half.
Cathal Forde and David Hawkshaw come into the centre, while Shane Jennings moves from right to left wing to accomodate Chay Mullins's return. Piers O'Conor is at full-back.
Cian Prendergast captains the side at flanker as usual, joined in the back row by Paul Boyle and Conor Oliver.
Oisin Dowling and Darragh Murray form a new second row partnership replacing Joe Joyce and Josh Murphy, while Finlay Bealham is joined in the front row by Dylan Tierney-Martin and Peter Dooley.
Connacht: Piers O'Conor; Chay Mullins, David Hawkshaw, Cathal Forde, Shane Jennings; Jack Carty, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Finlay Bealham; Oisin Dowling, Darragh Murray; Cian Prendergast, Conor Oliver, Paul Boyle
Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Jordan Duggan, Jack Aungier, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Matthew Devine, Santiago Cordero, Sean Jansen
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Watch a URC double-header, Stormers v Connacht and Munster v Bulls, on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
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