Munster head coach Rob Penney has every faith in Ian Keatley as his fly-half as his side prepare for their inter-provincial clash with a Leinster side denied the services of Brian O’Driscoll in the RaboDirect PRO12 this Saturday.

Penney’s side are in their first season without Ronan O’Gara, who called time on his career over the summer, but have impressed so far this season, winning three of their four RaboDirect PRO12 matches.

Munster's solo loss in their last five RaboDirect PRO12 contests came in round 3 in Treviso.

The Munstermen have suffered just one reversal at Thomond Park in any competition since April 2012: 16-22 to Leinster in this equivalent fixture last season.

But they have been defeated in their last four fixtures against Leinster since Munster took the 2011 Grand Final in Limerick.

Penney, however, is convinced Keatley is the man for the big occasion on Saturday.

“He’s done the job for us. He came in last year when Rog was away and did a great job,” Penney told the Irish Examiner.

“The match against Racing Metro at home [last January] when we needed a bonus-point win, he guided the team around beautifully.

“You want to build confidence into your squad by saying ‘look, you’ve done it for us in the past, you can do it again for us’.

“And they’ll either do it or they won’t and he knows JJ’s coming. But he deserves a good opportunity. He’s a very intelligent guy and he’s a really good leader amongst our team and he could step into the bigger shoes of international rugby probably, at 10. It’s not an easy job.

“But, as we’ve said all along, we’ve got to expose guys to playing opportunities because it’s the only way you get the growth. You can do what you want on the training track but it’s in the realities of the cauldron where all the learning takes place really.

“But Ian’s our starting 10 and he did a great job for us last year. We’re expecting similar things from him as we go forward now.”

Felix Jones and Paul O'Connell, who both returned for Munster last weekend against Newport Gwent Dragons, make their first start of the season while BJ Botha and Conor Murray are both named in the replacements.

Leinster's only defeat in their last dozen matches in all tournaments was 6-12 at table topping Glasgow on 20th September and they have won four of their last six away games against fellow Irish provinces.

And they are going for a third successive victory on Munster soil for the first time since 1971.

For Leinster, Jamies Heaslip skippers the side in a back-row that features the returning Sean O’Brien.

Ian Madigan starts at out-half and will make his 85th appearance and he will link up with Eoin Reddan at half back.

The squad are boosted by the return of several players including Australian Lote Tuqiri who starts at outside centre alongside Gordon D'Arcy in a new-look midfield.

O'Driscoll picked up a minor calf strain in training this week and will be assessed by the medical team over the coming days regarding his availability for next week's opening Heineken Cup clash away to the Ospreys.

Absent club captain Leo Cullen said: “When you play Munster in Thomond, you get tested in so many areas. It’s a challenge mentally for people to make sure they stay in the game.

“You can’t afford to wander and give them access into the game. If they sniff any weaknesses there is no better side around to capitalise on them and put teams away.

“It is a tough challenge. I am jealous of the lads that will get to play this weekend because it is such a great occasion, made in many ways by the supporters and what it means to them. The atmosphere we have played in down there have been unbelievable over the last number of years.”

At Thomond Park, 6.45pm.
Referee: Romain Poite (FFR, 3rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: Stuart Gaffikin , Michael Black (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Denis Templeton (IRFU)
TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)

Live on RTE