Ryan out as Varley leads Munster into Toulon clash

Damien Varley will captain Munster as they meet Toulon in the Heineken Cup semi-final at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

Donnacha Ryan, who has been battling with a foot injury since March, did take part in this week's training but has not made the side after a final assessment this morning showed he is not fully fit.

Sean Dougall returns to a starting line-up for the first time since the Heineken Cup clash with Perpignan in December and is joined CJ Stander and James Coughlan in the back-row.

JJ Hanrahan returns to the bench after being extremely disciplined in his rehabilitation programme. The young out-half has recovered from the moderate groin tear he sustained against Glasgow Warriors earlier in the month and is named in the replacements.

Munster coach Rob Penney keeps faith with the same front-five that started in the quarter-final meeting with Toulouse and with Casey Laulala recovering from a fractured bone in his hand Penney can call on the same back-line also.

Tommy O'Donnell is named in the replacements while James Cronin returns from a sprained ankle to also feature in the squad.

Munster: Felix Jones; Keith Earls, Casey Laulala, James Downey, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Damien Varley (C), BJ Botha; Dave Foley, Paul O'Connell; CJ Stander, Sean Dougall, James Coughlan.

Replacements: Duncan Casey, James Cronin, John Ryan, Donncha O'Callaghan, Tommy O'Donnell, Duncan Williams, JJ Hanrahan, Denis Hurley.