Graham Rowntree is hoping that a bold selection move is backed up with a vital victory as Munster look to guarantee a place in the Champions Cup last 16.
After the opening pool defeat at home to Toulouse - with a losing bonus point secured - followed by the gritty away win at Northampton, the province host the Saints at Thomond Park knowing that a win should be enough to put them into the knock-outs before next week's tough trip to Toulouse.
"It's obviously a huge game, and I wouldn't disrespect Northampton by saying we have to beat them because we're going to Toulouse, that's not the motive," said Rowntree's assistant Denis Leamy.
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"The motive is to perform, and the motive is us at Thomond Park in the European Cup, that's driving us.
"If we put together a performance in terms of our collective, if that all comes together, and we're good enough on the night to beat Northampton, that's the main thing.
"We can't go looking at permutations. We'll go to Toulouse, and go there to win the game, but we have to deal first thing first, and that's Northampton."
Reds boss Rowntree has decided to forgo the services of one of his most experienced European veterans for today's game, with Conor Murray omitted from the matchday 23.
The 33-year-old had been under pressure to hold onto a squad place due to the form of Craig Casey and Paddy Patterson, two young scrum-halves who facilitate the kind of high tempo game that Rowntree - and Andy Farrell's Ireland - want to play.
Rowntree has bitten the bullet - Casey has got the nod to start, with Patterson edging long-time European and Test campaigner Murray for a bench spot.
The selection decision is a blow for Murray, who hopes to play in a fourth Rugby World Cup this year. Ireland boss Andy Farrell is likely to keep faith with the Limerick man for the upcoming Six Nations, given his experience.
However Murray lost his starting spot to Jamison Gibson-Park for the Nations Cup in November 2011 and the Leinster no 9 has remained first-choice since then.
Munster have made nine personnel changes and one positional switch from last week's URC victory over the Lions, with prop Roman Salanoa making his first Champions Cup start - John Ryan, who departs for New Zealand at the end of the month, is named as cover - and Peter O'Mahony captaining the side.
Joey Carbery is named at no 10 with Jack Crowley partnering Antoine Frisch again at centre. Gavin Coombes moves from the second row to the back row.
The last time the sides met, Munster had three men in the sin-bin in the second half but held onto their 17-6 half-time lead to the end in a fractious affair.
The Saints will come out all guns blazing and the message to the Munster players is to stay calm in the face of any storms.
"We talk about in the mayhem, in the chaos," said Leamy. "We drill chaos drills and we talk about the calm, the poker face in the chaos.
"I thought the boys were excellent (in Northampton). It happens, but how we've controlled those moments is growing all the time.
"There's loads to improve, gone are the days where we'd go all-in.
"Back in the day, we'd incite a row to get the crowd involved; it was almost something we'd pre-planned.
"That's not something we'd do any more, we try to remain calm and we trust our defence, we trust our maul and we're physical in those areas of contact.
"That's where we look to show our confidence if we can."
Munster: Haley, Nash, Frisch, Crowley, Daly, Carbery, Casey; Kilcoyne, N Scannell, Salanoa, Kleyn, Beirne, O’Donoghue, O’Mahony, G Coombes.
Replacements: Buckley, J Wycherley, Ryan, Hodnett, Kendellen, Patterson, R Scannell, L Coombes.
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