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Three wise men: Backs coach Simon Mannix, head coach Rob Penney and forwards coach Anthony Foley at Munster training in University of Limerick this morning. ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Pro12

Big guns on bench as Munster name XV to face Ulster

Conor Murray, Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls are all named among Munster’s replacements for Friday’s trip to Ravenhill.

MUNSTER COACH ROB Penney makes three changes for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash against Ulster, showing faith in those players who opened the season with back-to-back wins.

Conor Murray, Ronan O’Gara and Keith Earls are all available again following their involvement in Ireland’s summer tour of New Zealand but the international trio have to make do with a place among the replacements for the trip to Ravenhill.

All of Penney’s changes come in the pack as the New Zealander sticks with the same back line that beat Benetton Treviso 19-6 in Thomond Park last weekend.

Props Dave Kilcoyne and BJ Botha join Damien Varley in a new-look front row, replacing Wian du Preez and Stephen Archer while Donncha O’Callaghan is preferred to Dave Foley in the second row.

Meanwhile, Ulster coach Mark Anscombe has welcomed two Irish internationals back into his own fold. Dan Tuohy and Chris Henry are named in the province’s 26-man squad for the first time this season as they too look to make it three wins from their opening three games.

Stephen Ferris, who returned to action in last Saturday’s 16-13 win away to Ospreys, is set to win his 100th cap but back-row Robbie Diack is still unavailable with a leg injury.

Munster: Denis Hurley; Doug Howlett (c), Casey Laulala, James Downey, Luke O’Dea; Ian Keatley, Duncan Williams; Dave Kilcoyne, Damien Varley, BJ Botha; Donncha O’Callaghan, Billy Holland; Dave O’Callaghan, Sean Dougall, James Coughlan. Replacements: Mike Sherry, Marcus Horan, Stephen Archer, Dave Foley, Tommy O’Donnell, Conor Murray, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls.

Ulster (squad): Paul Marshall, Michael Heaney, Niall O’Connor, Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Darren Cave, Michael Allen, Craig Gilroy, Andrew Trimble, Peter Nelson, Jared Payne; Rob Herring, Nigel Brady, Declan Fitzpatrick, Callum Black, Tom Court, John Afoa, Lewis Stevenson, Neil McComb, Johann Muller, Dan Tuohy, Mike McComish, Stephen Ferris, Chris Henry, Sean Doyle, Nick Williams.

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