Stringer & O’Gara Reunited

Munster will certainly not lack for experience at halfback on Saturday with Peter Stringer and Ronan O’Gara paired together from the off for the first time in 19 months.

It will be Stringer's first start for the Munster senior side since the Edinburgh game at Murrayfield around this time last year but between them, O'Gara and Stringer have amassed almost 450 competitive Munster caps with Stringer set to win a phenomenal 226th Munster cap on Saturday.

Injuries sustained in last weeks game against Ulster have ruled James Coughlan and Luke O'Dea out for a number of weeks and Denis Hurley and Ivan Dineen succumbed to illness this week forcing Rob Penney to ring the changes.

Ian Keatley comes in for Hurley at full back, a position he occupied for the latter end of the game last weekend while the loss of O'Dea who was in a rich vein of form is softened by the availability of international Simon Zebo.

Paddy Butler might have expected to be preparing for the A game later today against Connacht (Garryowen FC 5pm) but instead finds himself anchoring the scrum while after six games on the bounce Casey Laulala and Sean Dougall are given a break, Keith Earls in for Laulala at 13 with Niall Ronan back from injury to replace Dougall.

There's a return to the match day squad for Danny Barnes and a first time inclusion for JJ Hanrahan after his late show in Deramore Park when his try and conversion helped Munster A to a one point victory.

Munster: I Keatley; D Howlett capt, K Earls, J Downey, S Zebo; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, M Sherry, BJ Botha, Donncha O'Callaghan, B Holland; Dave O'Callaghan, N Ronan, P Butler. Replacements: D Varley, W du Preez, S Archer, D Foley, T O'Donnell, C Murray, D Barnes, JJ Hanrahan.

Tickets from €;20 are available to buy for this game online here, from the Munster Rugby ticket offices in Musgrave Park and Thomond Park and will also be on sale on match day.