Leinster’s front row depth will be tested against La Rochelle in Saturday’s Champions Cup meeting at the Aviva Stadium while Munster have recalled four Irish internationals for their trip to Toulon on Sunday.
Leinster come into the game against Ronan O’Gara’s Top 14 outfit (17:30 GMT) having won seven consecutive games in all competitions, but will be without Ireland props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong in what is a repeat of the European finals of 2022 and 2023.
Sam Prendergast has been preferred to Harry Byrne at fly-half, but wing James Lowe, centre Garry Ringrose and lock RG Snyman will all also miss the pool-stage fixture in Dublin.
In Porter and Furlong’s absences, Paddy McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson will start at loose head and tight head prop respectively.
Rabah Slimani and Jack Boyle are also absent, meaning that neither of Leinster’s replacement props, Andrew Sparrow and Jerry Cahir, have featured before in the Champions Cup.
In Lowe’s absence, in-form wing Joshua Kenny, who was only added to the four-time winners’ European squad this week, remains in the number 11 jersey.
Jamison Gibson-Park, Ciaran Frawley, Rieko Ioane and Tommy O’Brien all keep their places after last weekend’s comprehensive win over Connacht, with fit-again Robbie Henshaw coming into the midfield.
Despite the absentees, Leo Cullen is still able to field a pack all capped by Ireland with Dan Sheehan starting at hooker between McCarthy and Clarkson.
Joe McCarthy and James Ryan are in the second row, while Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris make up the loose forward trio.
Leinster: C Frawley; T O’Brien, R Ioane, R Henshaw, J Kenny; S Prendergast, J Gibson-Park; P McCarthy, D Sheehan, T Clarkson, J McCarthy, J Ryan, J Conan, J van der Flier, C Doris (capt).
Replacements: R Kelleher, J Cahir, A Sparrow, D Magnan, M Deegan, L McGrath, H Byrne, A Osborne
Munster coach Clayton McMillan has responded to last week’s 28-3 loss away to Ulster by making 10 changes to his side to face Toulon in France on Sunday (13:00 GMT), five each among the backs and forwards.
Ireland international quartet Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Tom Farrell, all rested last Friday in the Affidea Stadium, headline the returnees.
Halfback pair Crowley and Casey will be expected to give Munster considerably more control than they had in Belfast, while Farrell’s return in the midfield comes alongside Alex Nankivell who is one of only two survivors from last week in the backline.
The other is wing Calvin Nash with Shane Daly and Ben O’Connor coming in to join him in the back-three.
Beirne slots straight back into the blindside flanker role and will captain the team at the Stade Mayol in what will be an all new back row combination with Jack O’Donoghue and Gavin Coombes also restored to the side.
Promising lock Edwin Edogbo takes the place of Springbok Jean Kleyn in the second row, while loose head prop Jeremy Loughman is the only change in the front row.
Munster have lost four of their past six games. Included in that run is a heavy loss to Bath and comfortable win over Gloucester that sees the southern province sit third in Pool 2 with a pair of games remaining.
Munster: S Daly; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, B O’Connor; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, D Barron, M Ala’alatoa, E Edogbo, F Wycherley, T Beirne (capt), J O’Donoghue, G Coombes.
Replacements: N Scannell, M Milne, J Ryan, T Ahern, B Gleeson, P Patterson, J Hanrahan, D Kelly.
