Ulster captain Iain Henderson will return from a back injury against inter-provincial rivals Munster in Belfast on Friday.

Henderson's return is one of six changes for Richie Murphy's side from the United Rugby Championship win over Connacht on Saturday.

Angus Bell, Tom O'Toole, Joe Hopes, Bryn Ward and Nathan Doak also come into the side as Jaurno Augustus is sidelined with an ankle injury.

Munster have made 10 changes from the defeat by Leinster as a number of Ireland internationals sit out the trip to Belfast.

The visitors are second in the table behind the Stormers, but Ulster could move ahead of their Irish rivals with victory in Belfast.

Tom Stewart retains his place at hooker and is joined by Australia prop Angus Bell and Tom O'Toole.

Henderson and Joe Hopes make up a new-look second row, while Cormac Izuchukwu shifts to flanker and is joined in the back row by Nick Timoney and Bryn Ward.

Doak returns at scrum-half in an otherwise unchanged backline, which comprises of Jack Murphy, Zac Ward, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Werner Kok and Jacob Stockdale.

Rob Herring and Eric O'Sullivan will make their returns from injury on the bench.

For the visitors, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, Tom Farell, Gavin Coombes and Edwin Edogbo are among those who will miss the game.

Paddy Patterson and JJ Hanrahan come in at half-back for Casey and Crowley, while Calvin Nash returns on the wing and Dan Kelly starts at centre alongside Alex Nankivell.

In the pack, hooker Diarmud Barron will captain Munster alongside Josh Wycherley and Michael Ala'alatoa, while Springbok Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley start in the second row.

The back row is made up of Tom Ahern, who shifts to flanker from lock, John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen.

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Ulster: J Stockdale; W Kok; J Hume, S McCloskey; Z Ward; J Murphy, N Doak; A Bell, T Stewart, T O'Toole; I Henderson (capt), J Hopes; C Izuchukwu, N Timoney, B Ward.

Replacements: R Herring, E O'Sullivan, S Wilson, H Sheridan, D McCann, C McKee, J Flannery, J Postlethwaite.

Munster: M Haley; C Nash, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, P Patterson; J Wycherley, D Barron (capt), M Ala'alatoa; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Ahern, J Hodnett, A Kendellen.

Replacements: L Barron, J Loughman, C Bartley, J O'Donoghue, B Gleeson, E Coughlan, T Butler, S O'Brien.