Team news: Munster trio O'Mahony, Nankivell and Scannell fit to start crunch Toulon tie

For Leinster, Ciaran Frawley gets the nod at 10 as James Lowe returns to face second-string Stade Francais. 

CRUCIAL FIGURE: Peter O'Mahony during Munster rugby squad training at the University of Limerick in Limerick. Pic: Eóin Noonan, Sportsfile

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has named key quartet Peter O'Mahony, Alex Nankivell, Niall Scannell and Joey Carbery in his matchday 23 for the Champions Cup crunch tie against Toulon at the Stade Felix Mayol on Saturday afternoon. 

O’Mahony, Nankivell and Scannell all return from injury to start the game, with Rowntree making six changes and two positional switches to the side that lost out to Connacht on New Year's Day. 

The other changes see international half-back duo Jack Crowley and Craig Casey return, having sat out the Connacht clash, while John Ryan starts in the front-row in place of the injured Oli Jager.

The positional shuffle allows Gavin Coombes return to the more familiar number eight jersey, with Tom Ahern reverting to the second-row to partner Tadhg Beirne.

Jeremy Loughman joins Scannell - making his first competitive appearance of the campaign - and Ryan in the front-row, completing the tight-five. 

John Hodnett gets the nod to start once again, partnering Coombes and O'Mahony in the back-row. 

Outside Casey and Crowley, Nankivell - having returned from an ankle injury - renews his partnership with Antoine Frisch, while Shane Daly, Calvin Nash and the in-form Simon Zebo make up the back three.  

Leinster boss Leo Cullen has given Ciaran Frawley the nod to start at 10, while winger James Lowe returns to face a second-string Stade Francais side in what will be his first outing of the season, three weeks out from the start of the Six Nations campaign.

Sam Prendergast is the out-half replacement on the Leinster bench, with an ankle knock picked up this week ruling Harry Byrne out of contention.

In what is a fearsome-looking international-standard starting 15, Robbie Henshaw partners captain Garry Ringrose in the midfield. 

Other notable selections include Luke McGrath, who will become the eleventh player to reach 200 caps for Leinster when summoned from the bench. 

For Ulster, head coach Dan McFarland has shuffled his pack from the victory over Leinster for the visit of French giants Toulouse.

Dave Ewers comes into the back-row, while hooker Tom Stewart comes into the front-row in place of Rob Herring, where he packs down alongside Springbok Steven Kitshoff and Tom O'Toole.

In the backs, injury returnee James Hume partners Stuart McCloskey in the 12-13 berth.

Meanwhile, Connacht boss Pete Wilkins has handed Michael McDonald his first start at scrum-half for their trip to Lyon on Saturday. 

Captain Jack Carty partners McDonald from out-half, while Tom Daly and Tom Farrell are named in the centres. The impressive Shayne Bolton continues on the wing, with Andrew Smith and full-back JJ Hanrahan completing the backfield.

The front-row consists of Peter Dooley, Dylan Tierney-Martin and Jack Aungier, while Darragh Murray and Joe Joyce are paired together in the second-row. 

Sean Jansen returns from injury to start at number eight, with flankers Cian Prendergast and Jarrad Butler alongside him.

Elsewhere, Ultan Dillane starts in the second row alongside Will Skelton for La Rochelle's must-win clash with Leicester at the Marcel Deflandrew on Sunday.

MUNSTER (v Toulon): S Zebo; C Nash, A Frisch, A Nankivell, S Daly; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, N Scannell, J Ryan; T Ahern, T Beirne; P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: E Clarke, J Wycherley, S Archer, B Gleeson, A Kendellen, C Murray, J Carbery, S O’Brien.

LEINSTER (v Stade Francais): H Keenan; J Larmour, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe, C Frawley, J Gibson-Park; A Porter, D Sheehan, T Furlong, J McCarthy, J Jenkins, R Baird, J van der Flier, C Doris.

Replacements: R Kelleher, C Healy, M Ala’alatoa, J Ryan, J Conan, L McGrath, S Prendergast, T O’Brien.

CONNACHT (v Lyon): JJ Hanrahan; A Smith, T Farrell, T Daly, S Bolton; J Carty, M McDonald; P Dooley, D Tierney-Martin, J Aungier; D Murray, J Joyce; C Prendergast, J Butler, S Jansen

Replacements: T McElroy, D Buckley, D Robertson-McCoy, O Dowling, C Oliver, M Devine, D Hawkshaw, S Jennings.

ULSTER (v Toulouse): M Lowry; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Burns, J Cooney; S Kitshoff, T Stewart, T O’Toole; K Treadwell, I Henderson; D Ewers, S Reffell, N Timoney.

Replacements: J Andrew, A Warwick, M Moore, A O’Connor, M Rea, N Doak, L Marshall, W Addison.