Munster have been boosted by the return of three injured backs and their Emerging Ireland contingent for their two-match tour of South Africa.
Graham Rowntree’s men are keen to bounce back from their defeat to Leinster at Croke Park against the Stormers on Saturday and will have Billy Burns, Shane Daly and Rory Scannell on board.
Added to those three, five of the Emerging Ireland squad have remained in South Africa and will link up with the squad in Cape Town.
Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Evan O’Connell, Ronan Foxe and Ben O’Connor will all add to the selection mix along with Alex Nankivell, Tom Ahern and Ruadhán Quinn, who came through Saturday’s game unscathed after their recent injuries.
Diarmuid Barron will not play against the Stormers as he goes through the Return to Play concussion protocols but could be available to face the Sharks in Round Six and has travelled with the squad.
Munster have confirmed that prop Josh Wycherley will be out for four months after undergoing neck surgery, while Mark Donnelly is out for between six to eight weeks after an ankle operation.
They hope to have Paddy Patterson, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Brian Gleeson, Thaakir Abrahams and Liam Coombes back next month, but Dave Kilcoyne (ankle), Oli Jager (neck), Peter O’Mahony (hamstring), Patrick Campbell (shoulder), Cian Hurley (knee), Edwin Edogbo (Achilles) and Roman Salanoa (knee) remain on the long-term injury list.
MUNSTER SQUAD FOR SOUTH AFRICA TOUR
Forwards: Diarmuid Barron, Scott Buckley, Eoghan Clarke, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Ronan Foxe, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Kieran Ryan, Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne, Jean Kleyn, Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue, Ruadhán Quinn
Backs: Craig Casey, Ethan Coughlan, Conor Murray, Billy Burns, Jack Crowley, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly, Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Ben O’Connor.