Munster coach Tony McGahan has made four changes, one positional, for their Magners League opener against Aironi Rugby in Musgrave Park on Saturday (7.30pm).

Munster have won all nine previous encounters they have had against Italian teams in all competitions. Aironi Rugby are a brand new team and duly become the 23rd different team to participate in the Magners League.

Munster look set to begin the new Magners League campaign without star centre Keith Earls.

Munster skipper Paul O'Connell hopes to be back in action by early December.

Munster have shaken up their back room staff and brought in one of their legendary former players, Mick Galwey, to join the team's senior management.

Aironi Rugby will launch their competitive career in Cork on the opening weekend of the 10th anniversary season of the Magners League after Munster announced the venues for their 11 home games this season.

Tommy Bowe will help the Ospreys kick-off the defence of their Magners League title with a trip to familiar territory when the Welsh region open the tournament's 10th anniversary campaign against Ulster at Ravenhill on the weekend of 4 September.

There will be plenty of new faces appearing in the Magners League this season, and not just with the two new Italian clubs, Benetton Treviso and Aironi Rugby.

Munster signing Peter Borlase believes his summer switch could eventually lead to a spot on the international scene with Ireland.

A number of fringe players in the Ireland squad have been handed a chance to press their claims for further international recognition this weekend.

Munster second row Donncha O'Callaghan has described Ireland's 60-point defeat to the All Blacks as 'embarrassing'.

Munster's Magners League title defence came to a disappointing end at the RDS on Saturday as Jamie Heaslip led Leinster's charge into the grand final on Saturday, May 29.

The two sides have met in three previous semi-finals: Munster winning 23-17 at Lansdowne Road in the Celtic Cup in 2004/05, Munster again winning 30-6 in the European Cup at Lansdowne Road in 2005/06, and Leinster gaining a 25-6 victory at Croke Park in last season's Heineken Cup.

Cardiff Blues gave Xavier Rush a winning send-off at Cardiff City Stadium, but their 13-12 defeat of Munster was not enough to prolong their involvement in this season's Magners League. Instead, the losing bonus point secured fourth place for Munster who will travel to arch rivals Leinster in the semi-finals.

The last four meetings between the Blues and Munster have all been won by the home side on the day, whilst the Munstermen's most recent win in Cardiff in the Magners League was way back on 4 November 2005 at the Arms Park.

Dan Biggar's right boot did all the damage as the Ospreys claimed their first ever win at Thomond Park, moving themselves a step closer to a home Magners League semi-final.

Ospreys have won two of their last three games in the Magners League, whilst the Welshmen's only away victory so far in 2010 was in Ulster on 13 April.

Connacht's eight-match unbeaten run at the Sportsground was ended by Munster as the defending champions took the spoils in Sunday's Magners League derby.

Connacht have beaten Munster only once in their last 32 meetings since 1986: 12-6 at the Sportsground in the Magners League on 28 December 2008.

Ronan O'Gara may have kicked all of Munster's points but his rival for the Ireland number 10 jersey, Jonathan Sexton, had the final say at Thomond Park as his Leinster side prevailed in a titanic Magners League tussle.