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O'Donnell starts and Keatley returns as Munster make seven changes

Anthony Foley’s side desperately need a win against Ulster at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.

Tommy O'Donnell Tommy O'Donnell Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

IRELAND FLANKER TOMMY O’Donnell will make his first start of the season when Munster head to Kingspan Stadium to play Ulster in the Guinness Pro12 on Saturday (3.00pm).

O’Donnell returned from the hip injury that ruled him out of the World Cup when he was introduced from the bench in Sunday’s defeat to Leinster, but he’ll be in from the start for this weekend’s visit to Belfast. Robin Copeland is subsequently among the replacements so Jack O’Donoghue reverts to the blindside.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley has made seven personnel changes in total. Elsewhere in the pack, Mark Chisholm replaces the injured Donnacha Ryan at lock. There are also two changes in the front-row, with BJ Botha returning from illness at the expense of John Ryan and Dave Kilcoyne replacing the injured James Cronin.

Ian Keatley will slot back in at out-half in place of Tyler Bleyendaal, and there are new faces on each wing, as Ronan O’Mahony and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino start ahead of the injured Keith Earls and Simon Zebo.

Munster (v Ulster):

15. Andrew Conway
14. Ronan O’Mahony
13. Francis Saili
12. Rory Scannell
11. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino
10. Ian Keatley
9. Tomás O’Leary

1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Mike Sherry
3. BJ Botha
4. Dave Foley
5. Mark Chisholm
6. Jack O’Donoghue
7. Tommy O’Donnell
8. CJ Stander (captain)

Replacements:

16. Niall Scannell
17. John Ryan
18. Mario Sagario
19. Billy Holland
20. Robin Copeland
21. Duncan Williams
22. Tyler Bleyendaal
23. Denis Hurley

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Author
Paul Dollery
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