Neither player trained yesterday - Dowling (dead leg) Tipoki (thigh strain) - but there is optimism that both will be given the all clear by the medics in time for Sunday's game.  Kieran Lewis and Denis Hurley have been drafted into the squad as has Tony Buckley who has recovered from a bout of illness.

Sale's win in Clermont impressed Munster coach Tony McGahan who said, " To win like they did out there says it all really. I watched the game and I thought they competed extremely hard in defence and made the very most of their opportunites when they arose. Added to that win and their form in the League, they've  won four from five and conceded just four tries, and it gives you and idea of the size of the task we face over there. But we knew before this competition kicked off that there would be no easy games, home or away, so nothing has changed in that respect. We'll be looking to give a good account of ourselves and see where that takes us."

Munster: D Hurley, K Earls, D Howlett, B Murphy, K Lewis, R Tipoki, L Mafi, I Dowling, P Warwick, R O'Gara, P Stringer, M Prendergast, F Pucciariello, M Horan, D Fogarty, J Flannery,  T Buckley, J Hayes, P O'Connell capt, D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, A Quinlan,  D Wallace, J O'Sullivan, J Melck.