Six changes for Munster, five for Connacht

Munster and Connacht have named much changed outfits for their respective clashes with Cardiff Blues and Dragons this weekend.

Tony McGahan has made six changes to the Munster side that overcame the Scarlets last weekend. Danny Barnes and Duncan Williams come into the backline instead of Tom Gleeson and Peter Stringer and Wian du Preez and Stephen Archer come in for veteran Irish duo Marcus Horan and John Hayes in the front row.

Billy Holland replaces Dave Foley in the second row, while in the back row, Tommy O’Donnell replaces Niall Ronan at openside flanker.

Munster take on the Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday at 7.05pm.

Munster: J Murphy; D Howlett, D Barnes, L Mafi, D Hurley; I Keatley, D Williams; W du Preez, M Sherry, S Archer; B Holland, M O'Driscoll; P O'Mahony (captain), T O'Donnell, J Coughlan.

Replacements: D Fogarty, J Ryan, J Hayes, D Foley, N Ronan, P Stringer, S Deasy, T Gleeson.

Eric Elwood has also shuffled his deck for the meeting with the Dragons in Galway this weekend, making five changes from the side that earned a bonus point in defeat to Edinburgh last time out.

In the pack, Brett Wilkinson, Dave Gannon and Ray Ofisa come in instead of Ronan Loughney, Michael Swift and George Naoupu, while Matthew Jarvis and Mark McCrea make way for Niall O’Connor and Brian Tuohy in the backs.

Connacht’s clash with the Dragons kicks-off at the Sportsground on Friday at 7.30pm.

Connacht: Gavin Duffy (Captain); Brian Tuohy, Eoin Griffin, Henry Fa’afili, Tiernan O’Halloran; Niall O’Connor, Frank Murphy; Brett Wilkinson, Ethienne Reynecke, Rodney Ah You; Dave Gannon, Mike McCarthy; John Muldoon, Johnny O’Connor, Ray Ofisa

Replacements: Adrian Flavin, Ronan Loughney, Dylan Rogers, Mick Kearney, TJ Anderson, Paul O’Donohoe, Mathew Jarvis, James Loxton