Ireland flanker Sean O’Brien was ruled out of the Six Nations defending champions’ opening game with Italy on Saturday in Rome with a shoulder injury suffered in the warm-up.
O’Brien, who was due to play his first test in over a year, is replaced in the starting line-up by Tommy O’Donnell with Ulster’s South Africa-born Robbie Diack coming in to the replacements bench.
Italy (15-1)
Andrea Masi; Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Luca Morisi, Luke McLean; Kelly Haimona, Edoardo Gori; Sergio Parisse (cap), Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni; Josh Furno, George Biagi; Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero
Remplacements: Andrea Manici, Alberto De Marchi, Dario Chistolini, Marco Fuser, Robert Barbini, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tommaso Allan, Giovambattista Venditti
Ireland (15-1)
Rob Kearney; Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Simon Zebo; Ian Keatley, Conor Murray; Jordi Murphy, Tommy O’Donnell, Peter O’Mahony; Paul O’Connell (capt), Devin Toner; Mike Ross, Rory Best, Jack McGrath
Replacements: Sean Cronin, James Cronin, Martin Moore, Iain Henderson, Robbie Diack, Isaac Boss, Ian Madigan, Felix Jones
Referee: Pascal Gauzere (FRA)