Loughman makes welcome Munster return while duo Wood and Smith set to make debuts 

Seán O’Brien, short-term signing Andrew Smith, Tony Butler, Paddy Patterson, Jeremy Loughman, Stephen Archer, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes are the other players to come into the side.

Munster's Jeremy Loughman is back after a lengthy injury lay-off. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

Munster have handed backline debuts to new signing Andrew Smith and academy star Gordon Wood while welcoming back Ireland prop Jeremy Loughman for Friday’s difficult trip to URC defending champions Glasgow Warriors.

Hooker Diarmuid Barron captains the side and is one of nine new faces from the team that were beaten by Edinburgh in Cork last time out on February 28, a defeat that with six rounds of the regular season remaining left Munster six points adrift of fourth place and a berth for a home play-off quarter-final draw at the end of May.

Seán O’Brien, short-term signing Smith, Tony Butler, Paddy Patterson, Loughman, Stephen Archer, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes are the other players to come into the side.

Munster's Gordon Wood with family. Pic: Paul Currie/Inpho

Smith makes his Munster debut on the right wing having joined on loan from Connacht earlier this month. The former Ireland 7s and U20s international made his first Munster appearance in the friendly against Leicester at Welford Road last week.

Loughman returns from a hip injury for his first appearance in almost five months.

Four Academy players are included as Ben O’Connor starts at full-back with hooker Danny Sheahan, back-rower Ruadhán Quinn and centre Wood named among the replacements.

Wood impressed against a near full-strength Leicester last week and is set to continue his journey from Ballina Killaloe, and St Munchin’s Colllege through to Garryowen having made his first senior Munster appearance against Gloucester in pre-season.

O’Connor, O’Brien and Smith form the back three with Nankivell set to continue his midfield partnership with Tom Farrell after a try-scoring comeback from injury against Edinburgh.

Patterson and Butler are named in the half-backs while Loughman makes his first appearance in almost five months in a front row also including Barron and Archer, who will be making his 297th Munster appearance.

Andrew Smith starts after his short-term move from Connacht. Pic: Tom Maher/Inpho

Fineen Wycherley and Tom Ahern start in the second row with a back row of Kendellen, John Hodnett and Coombes.

Rory Scannell joins Ethan Coughlan and Wood as the backline replacements and it set for his 197th Munster appearance but Munster said fly-half Billy Burns, hooker Niall Scannell and tighthead prop Oli Jager were unavailable due to knocks.

While Munster must do without their frontline Ireland internationals, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash until next week and the trip to Castlebar to play Connacht, Glasgow welcome back nine Scotland players on the first weekend after the Six Nations.

GLASGOW WARRIORS: K Rowe; S Cancelliere, O Smith, S McDowall, K Steyn – captain; A Hastings, G Horne; J Bhatti, J Matthews, P Schickerling; J Oguntibeju, A Samuel; E Ferrie, S Vailanu, J Mann.

Replacements: G Stewart, N McBeth, S Talakai, JP du Preez, G Brown, M Fagerson, B Ashfar D Weir.

MUNSTER: B O’Connor; S O’Brien, T Farrell, A Nankivell, A Smith; T Butler, P Patterson; J Loughman, D Barron - captain, S Archer; F Wycherley, T Ahern; A Kendellen, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: D Sheahan, J Wycherley, J Ryan, B Gleeson, R Quinn, E Coughlan, G Wood, R Scannell.