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.