Ronan to make Euro debut for Munster

Former Leinster openside Niall Ronan will make his Heineken Cup debut for Munster in the number seven jersey on the road at Clermont-Auvergne on Sunday.

Centre Barry Murphy has been called in for Rua Tipoki in an otherwise familiar line-up with Paul O’Connell as captain.

Frankie Sheahan gets the nod over Denis Fogarty to replace the injured Jerry Flannery and David Wallace moves into the number eight slot with Alan Quinlan on the blindside.

It looks as though Clermont-Auvergne mean business as they have gone for their strongest possible line-up with Aurelien Rougeris as captain.

Argentinean hooker Mario Ledesma, Jamie Cudmore and Julien Bonnaire are stand out forwards in a pack relishing the chance to mix it with Munster.

But, it is in the backline that Clermont appear most dangerous with French internationals Pierre Mignoni, Julien Malzieu, Rougerie and Benoit Baby determined to cause damage.

MUNSTER (v Clermont-Auvergne): K Earls; D Howlett, B Murphy, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt), A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Wallace.

Replacements: D Fogarty, T Buckley, D Ryan, J Coughlan, P Stringer, P Warwick, J Manning.

ASM Clermont Auvergne: A Floch; A Rougerie [capt], B Baby, S Bai, J Malzieu; B James, P Mignoni; T Domingo, M Ledesma, D Zirakashvili, J Pierre, L Jacquet, J Cudmore, A Lapandry, J Bonnaire.

Replacements: M Lozupone, L Emmanuelli, A Audebert, E Vermeulen, J Senio, P Garcia, G Esterhuizen.