Kieran Lewis will start for Munster against his former team-mates at Leinster in Friday's Magners League game at Musgrave Park (7.30pm).
Wing Brian Carney has been ruled out with a knee injury and Shaun Payne returns to full-back for Denis Hurley.
Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery and John Hayes return to the front row and Donncha O'Callaghan renews his partnership with Mick O'Driscoll, while Donnacha Ryan moves to the back-row spot made vacant by Alan Quinlan's hand ligament injury.
Munster coach Declan Kidney looking forward to a close game commented: " Munster Leinster games are always great occasions, you only have to look at the demand for tickets over the past few weeks to know that. Certainly the interest in this game seems to be right up there with anything we've experienced in the past.
"As for the game itself, I think its going to be a great contest. They are one of the top sides not alone in Ireland but in Europe so we'd have a lot of respect for them. There'll be a great atmosphere and its days like these make this job so enjoyable."
MUNSTER (v Leinster): S Payne; K Lewis, R Tipoki, L Mafi, I Dowling; R O'Gara capt, P Stringer; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll; D Ryan, D Wallace, D Leamy. Replacements: F Sheahan, T Buckley, A Foley, N Ronan, G Hurley, P Warwick, B Murphy.