SA-born Ireland hooker Rob Herring is ruled out while Ross Byrne and Craig Casey form a new half-back partnership for the Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday.
Byrne comes in for injured flyhalf Johnny Sexton, while Casey gets the nod from coach Andy Farrell after Munster teammate Conor Murray started the wins over Wales and 2022 champions France.
For 27-year-old Byrne, it will be his 17th cap and for Casey (23) his 10th ,as both make their first Six Nations starts.
Byrne impressed Farrell with his performances in the win over Australia last November and came on for Sexton with over half-an-hour of the France match remaining and closed it out.
In the absence of Sexton, James Ryan skippers a side which shows six changes from the 32-19 win over the French.
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Bundee Aki comes in at centre to partner Garry Ringrose, who wins his 50th cap. Jack Conan is chosen at No 8, replacing Peter O’Mahony.
Iain Henderson lines up alongside Ryan in the second row – Tadhg Beirne has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament – and Ronan Kelleher starts at hooker.
Kelleher, first choice last year, returned to the match-day squad for the France game and gets his chance because Herring took a hit to the head against France.
Dan Sheehan, who was the starting hooker against Wales in the opener, comes back into the squad on the replacements bench after missing the France game with a hamstring injury.
The bench offers experience, with Test centurion Murray and 91-times capped O’Mahony.
There is no place for Joey Carbery, often seen as the long-term successor to Sexton. Although the 27-year-old was called up on Monday, his younger Munster teammate Jack Crowley is on the bench.
The Irish will be hot favourites having lost just once to Italy in the Six Nations – in Rome in 2013 – although their opponents having shown a vast improvement over the past 12 months.
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Photo: INPHO/Dan Sheridan