Munster head coach Johann van Graan has made six changes to the XV that beat the Scarlets for their Champions Cup meeting with Toulon.
Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway are both back from injury having come through training this week with Stephen Archer and Grand Slam winners Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and CJ Stander also returning to the side.
Zebo starts at full-back with Conway and Alex Wootton, Munster’s top try-scorer so far this season, on the flanks.
Rory Scannell, who has played every minute of Munster’s European campaign so far, continues his centre partnership with the impressive Sammy Arnold.
EPCR European Player of the Year nominee Murray starts at scrum-half as Ian Keatley, who scored 61 points in six Pool games, takes the 10 shirt.
Dave Kilcoyne, Rhys Marshall and Archer get the nod in the front row as the ever-reliable Billy Holland and Jean Kleyn team up in the engine room.
Captain O’Mahony and Stander come into the back-row after their international exploits with number eight Stander another man to have played all 480 minutes of the European campaign so far. Jack O’Donoghue keeps his place in the team after an excellent performance against Scarlets with the Waterford man moving from blindside to openside flanker.
The all-international trio of Niall Scannell, James Cronin and John Ryan make up the front-row cover.
Having both faced Munster as Racing 92 players in last season’s Champions Cup, James Hart and Gerbrandt Grobler are in line to make their European bows for Munster off the bench.
Last week’s Man of the Match Robin Copeland, JJ Hanrahan and Darren Sweetnam complete the replacements.
Toulon will be brimming with confidence after thumping Clermont in the Top 14 last week but have still made changes to their side, as Ma'a Nonu and Francois Trinh-Duc come in for Malakai Fekitoa and Anthony Belleau respectively. Trinh-Duc will join Eric Escande in the half-backs.
Guilhem Guirado returns as starting hooker while Juandre Kruger replaces Romain Taofifenua at lock alongside Englishman Dave Attwood.
Duane Vermeulen has got the nod at number eight this weekend and is joined in the back-row by Argentine Facundo Isa and Raphael Lakafia.
The teams:
Munster: 15 Simon Zebo, 14 Andrew Conway, 13 Sam Arnold, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Alex Wootton, 10 Ian Keatley, 9 Conor Murray, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Jack O'Donoghue, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Billy Holland, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Stephen Archer, 2 Rhys Marshall, 1 Dave Kilcoyne
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 James Cronin, 18 John Ryan, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Robin Copeland, 21 James Hart, 22 JJ Hanrahan, 23 Darren Sweetnam
Toulon: 15 Chris Ashton, 14 Josua Tuisova, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Semi Radradra, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Eric Escande, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Facundo Isa, 6 Raphael Lakafia, 5 Dave Attwood, 4 Juandre Kruger, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Florian Fresia
Replacements: 16 Anthony Etrillard, 17 Xavier Chiocci, 18 Emerick Setiano, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Anthony Belleau, 21 Malakai Fekitoa, 22 Alby Mathewson, 23 Samu Manoa
Date: Saturday, March 31
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off: 17:30 BST (16:30 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse (Wales), Ian Davies (Wales)
Television match official: Jon Mason (Wales)
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