Seven British and Irish Lions will make their first appearances of the season when Leinster face Munster in their United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture at Croke Park.<\/p>\n
There are seven changes to the Leinster starting team from last Saturday\u2019s 31-5 win over the Sharks, with Leo Cullen also confirming that Harry Byrne is out injured.<\/p>\n
Four British and Irish Lions<\/a> will make their first appearances of the season from the beginning of the game with another two set to do so off the bench, while Springboks lock RG Snyman has been named in the team for the first time since helping South Africa defend their Rugby Championship crown.<\/p>\n James Ryan is another of the returning Lions set for his first appearance of the campaign, partnering Snyman in the second-row behind an unchanged front-row of Paddy McCarthy, R\u00f3nan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong.<\/p>\n Sam Prendergast at 10<\/p>\n Jamison Gibson-Park, another three-Test Lion, makes his season bow at scrum-half with Sam Prendergast his partner at fly-half. Robbie Henshaw shifts back across to inside centre with Garry Ringrose joining him on the outside for the first time in 2025\/26.<\/p>\n Tommy O\u2019Brien comes back into the team to earn his 50th Leinster<\/a> cap with James Lowe continuing on the left wing and Jamie Osborne named at full-back for the second week in a row.<\/p>\n Lions Dan Sheehan and Andrew Porter are set for their first action of the campaign as they join Thomas Clarkson, Brian Deeny, Max Deegan and Scott Penny in a 6-2 split among the replacements, while Fintan Gunne and Ciar\u00e1n Frawley offer the cover for the backs.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Munster<\/a> head coach Clayton McMillan has made 10 changes to his side for the second week in a row for this clash with their bitter rivals.<\/p>\n Last Friday\u2019s bonus-point victory over Edinburgh at Virgin Media Park saw Munster make it three wins to start the URC<\/a> season, collecting 14 of the 15 available points.<\/p>\n Munster captain Tadhg Beirne starts in the back-row on his first appearance of the season after winning the Player of the Series award for the British and Irish Lions in the summer. He becomes the 36th player to feature for the province so far this campaign.<\/p>\n