Dowling wings in for Munster
Dowling is named on the left wing in a side bolstered by many experienced players.
Back for the first time this season are Paul O’Connell and John Hayes. They join fellow summer Lions Donncha O’Callaghan and Ronan O’Gara.
The Irish out-half is paired for the first time this season with Peter Stringer, who has recovered from the ankle injury that ruled him out of last week’s Glasgow defeat.
Munster coach Declan Kidney is still in experimental mood. Denis Leamy is named in the centres alongside Trevor Halstead for the second time and young Barry Murphy takes over from Shaun Payne at full back.
Kidney has been less enthusiastic to change the format of the pack, restricting himself to moving Argentinean-born Italian international Federico Pucciariello to loose head in place of Marcus Horan. Pucciariello has a strong reputation on both sides of the scrum.
Munster field a total of 13 internationals, the exceptions being Dowling and Murphy, and Kidney has also named Munster’s Academy Player of the Year, Tomás O’Leary, on the bench.
Kidney has named a very strong list of replacements, with Horan, Trevor Hogan, Mick O’Driscoll, Paul Burke and Rob Henderson joined by both O’Leary and Flannery.
Munster seek to embellish their proud record of 15 successive home wins against Llanelli.
Munster’s seven-match winning run in all competitions came to an end in Glasgow on Saturday, but they will be going for a 16th consecutive victory in just 12 months, since the rather fortunate 27-27 draw with Connacht.
The Scarlets travel in hope, despite that proud home record. In four previous Celtic League meetings, Llanelli have won three times, including a rare away win at Thomond Park two years ago. Munster did, however, beat the Welsh side in the Celtic Cup final at Lansdowne Road last season, which brings the record back to 2-3 in Celtic competitions.
So far, Munster have beaten Border Reivers and the Ospreys, before losing to Glasgow. Llanelli have won two and lost two. The wins were over Connacht and Reivers, while they lost to both Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Simon Easterby, a replacement on that Lions tour and one of the stars by the end of it, leads Llanelli into battle. But the visitors have been forced to make a late change, with flanker Gavin Thomas ruled out.
Thomas, capped 16 times, failed a late fitness test on a biceps injury he sustained last week during their defeat at rivals Cardiff Blues.
The injury means 21- year-old prospect Jonathan Mills holds onto his place in a team that was already showing five changes, one positional, to the side that came from behind to beat Connacht.
Springbok Hottie Louw replaces try-scorer Inoke Afeaki, while a new-look back division sees American outside-half Mike Hercus, new Wales cap Tal Selley and centre Matthew Watkins all return, with Dafydd James switching to the wing. Veteran lock Chris Wyatt, who has yet to play in his testimonial season at Stradey Park, has made it back to full fitness this week and takes his position on the bench.
: B. Murphy, J. Kelly, D. Leamy, T. Halstead, I. Dowling, R. O’Gara, P. Stringer, F. Pucciariello, F. Sheahan, J. Hayes, D. O’Callaghan, P. O’Connell, A. Quinlan, A. Foley (captain), D. Wallace.
: M. Horan, J. Flannery, T. Hogan, M. O’Driscoll, T. O’Leary, P. Burke, R. Henderson.
: L. Byrne, D. James, M. Watkins, R. King, T. Selley, M. Hercus, C. Stuart-Smith, I. Thomas, A. Gravelle, J. Davies, H. Louw, A. Jones, S. Easterby (captain), A. Popham, J. Mills.
: D. Williams, C. Hawkins, C. Wyatt, G. Quinnell, L. Davies, G. Bowen, D. Daniel.
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