Team news: Declan Kidney has put his faith in a largely inexperienced pack for tomorrow night's Magner's Celtic League curtain raiser against the Cardiff Blues.
With so many of his front line options involved in Ireland's training camp in Poland, not one of the forward's involved in last May's European Cup triumph over Biarritz will take to the field in Cardiff.
Instead, Kidney will look to the likes of Frankie Sheahan, making his first competitive start since last October, Chris Wyatt and Federico Pucciariello to provide leadership to newcomers such as Darragh Hurley and Ross Noonan.
Both graduate from the provinces highly-talented Academy pool with Tim Ryan, Sean Cronin and Gerry Hurley also named on the bench.
Munster's back-line has a more familiar look to it with John Kelly, who captains the side and is set to win his 138th cap for the province, lining out alongside Shaun Payne while Christian Cullen, hoping for an injury-free season after missing virtually all of last year with back problems, starting at full-back.
Meanwhile, Brett Wilkinson and Adrian Flavin will make their competitive debuts for Connacht when they face the Border Reivers at Netherdale tomorrow night.
The pair signed on with the western province during the summer and got their first run out in a pre-season friendly away to Narbonne.
Ireland A hooker John Fogarty, who has been bothered by a minor back injury, will start on the replacements' bench.
Prop Wilkinson (22), who joined from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and 27-year old hooker Flavin, who joined from London Irish, are included in the front row with Stephen Knoop.
Replacement prop Michael Diffley, a native of Oran in Roscommon who began his rugby with Creggs RFC, could become the 80th player to be used by Connacht since the competition started five years ago.
Mark McHugh, who has been selected at fly-half, will captain the side in Netherdale tomorrow when the game kicks-off at 7.30pm.
Munster (v Cardiff): C Cullen; S Payne, J Kelly (capt), J Downey, I Dowling; J Manning, T O'Leary; D Hurley, F Sheahan, F Pucciariello; D Ryan, C Wyatt; R Noonan, J O'Sullivan, J Coughlan. Replacements: S Cronin, T Ryan, S O'Connor, B Cuttriss, G Hurley, E Hickey, M Lawlor.
Connacht (v Borders): M Mostyn; C McPhillips, P Warwick, G Williams, D Yapp; M McHugh, C Keane; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, S Knoop; D Gannon, A Farley; J Muldoon, M Lacey, C Rigney. Replacements: J Fogarty, M Diffley, M Swift, B O'Connor, T Tierney, K Matthews, D Riordan.
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