The Connacht centre Robbie Henshaw has replaced Gordon D’Arcy at 12 in the Ireland side to face South Africa on Saturday.
D’Arcy is out after picking up a heavy knock for Leinster in Castres at the end of last month.
Ulster’s Jared Payne will slot in for his Test debut at outside-centre with Rob Kearney fit to start at full-back.
Henshaw’s fourth international appearance sees him leap into the deep end, squaring up to the 102-cap South Africa captain Jean de Villiers. Tommy Bowe claims his wing berth after overcoming concussion.
The tighthead prop Mike Ross has won his fortnight-long fitness battle to ease Ireland’s front-row injury problems, with his Leinster team-mate Sean Cronin slotting in for the sidelined Rory Best.
Ireland must do without the props Cian Healy, Marty Moore and Nathan White, so Rodney Ah You covers tighthead from the bench.
Richardt Strauss takes a seat among the replacements and is in line for his first cap since June 2013 and his second against the country of his birth. The 28-year-old has battled back from heart surgery and then tearing his hamstring to return to the Test arena.
Ireland team v South Africa
R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ulster), J Payne (Ulster), R Henshaw (Connacht), S Zebo (Munster); J Sexton (Racing Métro), C Murray (Munster); J McGrath, S Cronin, M Ross, D Toner (all Leinster), P O’Connell (Munster, capt), P O’Mahony (Munster), C Henry (Ulster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements R Strauss (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), R Ah You (Connacht), M McCarthy, R Ruddock, E Reddan, I Madigan (all Leinster), F Jones (Munster).
