Pool A table toppers Munster must face Ulster in Friday night's Celtic League encounter at Ravenhill without their influential captain Jim Williams.
The Australian picked up a slight knee injury in the side's 38-27 defeat of Swansea last weekend and coach Alan Gaffney is not prepared to risk him so early in the season.
"Jim's injury is not too serious, a little swelling of the knee, but at this stage of the season we're not prepared to take chances," he said.
Mick Galwey will captain the side in Williams' absence.
Prop Marcus Horan and back row Donncha O'Callaghan return from international duty having missed the Swansea game.
Gaffney experiments a little by playing O'Callaghan at blindside as Eddie Halvey moves across to fill Williams' boots at No.8.
"I think he [O'Callaghan] has all the natural attributes to be an outstanding six, so we will give him a go there," explained Gaffney.
Munster:15 Jeremy Staunton; 14 Dominic Crotty, 13 Mike Mullins, 12 Jason Holland, 11 Mossie Lawlor; 10 Killian Keane, 9 Mike Prendergast; 1 Marcus Horan, 2 Frank Sheahan, 3 Rob Laffan; 4 Mick Galwey, 5 Mick O'Driscoll; 6 Donncha O'Callaghan, 7 Denis Leamy, 8 Eddie Halvey.
Replacements. James Blaney / John Fogarty, Simon Kerr, Trevor Hogan, Colm McMahon, Dominic Malone, Conor Mahony, Clinton Huppert.