Joey Carbery makes his first start of the season at out-half.

Joey Carbery looks set to come to Munster’s rescue in Belfast on Friday night with the fit-again Ireland fly-half covering the possible absence of JJ Hanrahan with a hamstring injury.

Munster defence coach JP Ferreira is the first to acknowledge that Faf de Klerk and Craig Casey are at contrasting points in their careers but he can think of nobody better than the World Cup winner for the young Limerick scrum-half to follow.

Jack O’Donoughe’s first-half try and a perfect kicking performance from JJ Hanrahan gave Munster the honours in this feisty inter-pro, which saw them stretch their lead at the top of the PRO14 Conference B standings.

Connacht coach Andy Friend said the precision which saw them conjure up a last-gasp winner against Gloucester last week is the standard they aspire to.

Dave Kilcoyne makes his return from a calf injury to start for Munster against Connacht in tomorrow's PRO14 clash.

Dave Kearney returns for defending champions Leinster for their Guinness PRO14 clash with Edinburgh at the RDS tomorrow evening.

Three Academy players will make their first Munster starts in Friday's friendly against London Irish.

Two of Ireland's U20 Six Nations winners are among the four players added to the Munster Academy for next season.

Munster coach Johann van Graan praised the strength and depth of his squad after they came from behind to oust Benetton Rugby in Treviso on Friday night.

Three Academy players are included in the squad.

Johann van Graan is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Munster in Treviso on Friday night, but he will nevertheless dig deep into his squad as the Reds bid to keep pace in the race for a Guinness PRO14 home semi final.

A single tackle in a rugby match has rarely generated such debate and controversy as the one the virtually unknown Fineen Wycherley rocked World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton with in the opening minutes of the Munster-Leinster Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park in December.

Returning out-half Tyler Bleyendaal will captain Munster in Sunday’s PRO14 encounter against Cheetahs, head coach Johann van Graan confirmed yesterday.

Nick McCarthy’s move south from Leinster to Munster for next season has thrown into doubt the futures of current scrum-halves James Hart and Duncan Williams beyond the current campaign.

Munster’s squad depth ahead of the new campaign was given a stern test by English heavyweights Exeter Chiefs as Johann van Graan’s team was well beaten in Cork last night.

Munster hit the new ground running last night as they won their opening pre-season game on Musgrave Park’s freshly installed playing surface to defeat Declan Kidney’s London Irish.

Munster A duly qualified for the quarter-finals of the B&I Cup with a comprehensive victory over Ospreys at Musgrave Park last night and jumped to the top of Pool 1 as they await the outcome of today’s clash between Bedford Blues and Nottingham.

Cork Constitution advanced from a tough Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup tie against Shannon with a late rally at Coonagh on Saturday.

The morale-boosting result for Peter Malone's injury-ravaged squad will see them compete for ninth place in Sunday's final round.

Italy 22 Ireland 21: Munster’s Calvin Nash ran in a couple of tries, but Ireland’s hopes of reaching successive World Rugby U20 Championship finals took a nosedive as Italy pipped them at the death in Georgia.

B&I Cup final:

In 10 years time, one wonders where Munster will be drawing players from.

Ireland 10 England 14: Gavin Coombes’ late try was not enough to deny England U-20s a Grand Slam as Nigel Carolan’s side fell just short in Donnybrook.

The Ireland Under-20s outperformed their English counterparts in a pulsating encounter but just fell short of a final round win at a wind-hit Donnybrook.

Paul O’Connell’s low key but significant advisory role with the academy and the general improvement of the provincial squad are two of the principle reasons Munster A’s participation in the B&I Cup is worthwhile and capable of benefiting the squad in different ways, head coach Peter Malone believes.

Munster A couldn’t have faced a stiffer challenge than the champions in today’s B&I Cup opener with London Welsh at Towns Park, Midleton (2.30p.m.), but coach Peter Malone believes his young side will be up to the task.

Former Leinster centre Collie O’Shea will partner Cian Bohane in Munster’s midfield tomorrow night as Rassie Erasmus begins his search for willing alternatives to the injured Francis Saili.

The Munster Junior team took another big step towards the Junior Interprovincial Championship title with an 11-10 win over reigning champions Ulster at Clonakilty.

Young Munster lifted the Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup at Musgrave Park for an eighth time in a thrilling final against Cork Constitution.

Galbally caused the shock of the weekend as they beat Clanwilliam in the Bank of Ireland Munster Junior Cup.

PBC Cork 39  Bandon GS 10 Munster Schools Senior Cup Musgrave Park

Bandon Grammar 43 Naomh Áine Killaloe 0