Anthony Horgan was forced to pull out of the Munster side in the run up to the Heineken Cup game against Cardiff Blues and his return means a positional switch for Tomas O'Leary - so impressive against Connacht last weekend - from the right wing to his more familiar scrum-half role.

Mick O'Driscoll was set to captain the side against Connacht at the start of December before a training ground injury (ankle) forced him to withdraw and Marcus Horan sustained a calf injury in the autumn international game against Australia.

Elsewhere, coach Declan Kidney rings the changes as the attempts to keep his side fresh following a hectic Christmas schedule. Tony Buckley comes into the front row for his first start of the season and Donnacha Ryan who has won four caps this season partners O'Driscoll in the second row.

Munster: C Cullen; A Horgan, B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; J Manning, T O'Leary; M Horan, A Kyriacou, T Buckley; D Ryan, M O'Driscoll; J O'Sullivan, D leamy, A Foley. Replacements: F Pucciariello, E McGovern, P O'Connell, J Coughlan, B O'Meara, E Hickey, T Halstead.