Munster Academy prop Dave Kilcoyne will make his first competitive start for the province when Tony McGahan's men take on the Scarlets in Saturday evening's RaboDirect PRO12 meeting in Llanelli.

Kilcoyne's only other involvement at this level was back in December when he came off the bench in the 69th minute of Munster's game against Connacht in Galway.

McGahan has made one backline change which comes at scrum-half with Conor Murray coming in for London Irish bound Tomas O'Leary.

Up front, Paul O'Connell makes his return as Donncha O'Callaghan drops to the bench.

Mick O'Driscoll, who announced that he is to retire at season end, partners O'Connell in the second row.

The back-row remains the same with BJ Botha coming back into the front-row ahead of Stephen Archer.

Munster: F Jones; L O'Dea, J Murphy, L Mafi, S Zebo; I Keatley, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, BJ Botha; M O'Driscoll, P O'Connell; D Ryan, T O'Donnell, P O'Mahony.

Replacements: D Varley, W du Preez, S Archer, Donncha O'Callaghan, P Butler, T O'Leary, S Deasy, I Dineen.