Dolphin's James Coughlan to start against Saints

The news of the return of captain Paul O'Connell and Keith Earls to the Munster side has been overshadowed by the selection of Dolphin's James Coughlan to make his first Heineken Cup start against Northampton Saints in the quarter-final Thomond Park on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Ireland International Sevens player's five previous appearances in the competition have come off the bench but tomorrow he wins his 40th Munster cap having debuted in 2006 against Cardiff Blues at The Arms Park.

It frees David Wallace to move back to the openside with Alan Quinlan on the other flank of the back row.

O'Connell and Earls have both recovered from groin injuries to leave Munster as close as doesn't make any difference to full-strength.

MUNSTER (v Northampton Saints): P Warwick; D Howlett, K Earls, J de Villiers, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell capt; A Quinlan, D Wallace, J Coughlan. Replacements: D Varley, J Brugnaut, T Buckley, M O'Driscoll, N Williams, N Ronan, P Stringer, L Mafi.