Tullow man Sean O Brien starts at 7 in the back row for Ireland’s last game in the Autumn International Series.
He played a the full 80 minutes putting in a huge performance against the All Blacks and will lead from the front again on Saturday evening.
There are four changes to the side that started against New Zealand last Saturday. Garry Ringrose and Paddy Jackson start in place of the injured Robbie Henshaw and Jonathan Sexton, while Keith Earls comes onto the left wing and Iain Henderson starts in the second row.
Rory Best will win his 100th cap as he leads the team out on Saturday, becoming only the fifth Irish player to reach the century mark. Brian O’Driscoll (133), Ronan O’Gara (128), Paul O’Connell (108) and John Hayes (105) are the other players to reach 100 Ireland caps.
Hooker Best is joined in the front row by Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong, while Henderson partners Devin Toner in the second row. He started twice in the engine room during the summer tour of South Africa. The power-packed back row of CJ Stander, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip will get a second outing in the space of a week.
In the back-line, Conor Murray will partner Jackson at half-back with Ringrose making his second start of the GUINNESS Series, joining Jared Payne in the centre.
Earls, who has recovered from a dead leg, will reunite in the back-three with Andrew Trimble and full-back Rob Kearney, who, like Stander, went through the return-to-play protocols. The experienced trio are set to start together for the first time since last February’s Six Nations meeting with England.
Joey Carbery and Ultan Dillane come back onto the bench with Simon Zebo, following two starts against New Zealand, providing cover this week. Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Josh van der Flier and Kieran Marmion complete the squad.
IRELAND
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 71
14. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 68
13. Jared Payne (Ulster) 18
12. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 2
11. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 53
10. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 18
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 52
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 35
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt) 99
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 10
4. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 27
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 41
6. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 9
7. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) 44
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (vice-capt) 90
Replacements:
16. Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 55
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 61
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht) 5
19. Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 7
20. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 4
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 8
22. Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster) 2
23. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 27
