Eddie O'Sullivan opts to start Andrew Trimble at the expense of the Ulsterman's friend and roommate Tommy Bowe for the game with Wales at Lansdowne Road on Sunday.
The change is one of three to the starting line-up after a turbulent trip to Paris that ultimately ended in defeat but showed some promise.
Having recovered from the winter-vomiting bug that sidelined him for Paris, Marcus Horan returns to the frontrow instead of Reggie Corrigan. The Munster prop lost a lot of weight in the short duration of his illness but trained well last week and is back up to speed according to O'Sullivan.
The secondrow switch expected after the shoulder injury to Paul O'Connell is the third change - with Munster teammate Donncha O'Callaghan partnering Malcolm O'Kelly - but management are confident Ireland's vice-captain will be fit for the Scotland game in a weeks time.
Munster secondrow Mick O'Driscoll is called up to the bench as cover.
"Paul is obviously a world class player," said O'Sullivan today. "I think we are fortunate as well now that we have two other world class locks in Malcolm O'Kelly and Donncha, who are both Lions. . . and then again we have Mick O'Driscoll, a player who is playing superbly for Munster. So from a playing point of view I think we are in good stead in that department."
However, O'Sullivan admits his "talismanic" pack leader was sorely missed in the Autumn when omitted through injury, but stressed today that "these thing happen." In O'Connell's absence flanker Simon Easterby will lead the pack.
Jerry Flannery is named at hooker despite struggling with an ankle injury, with Shane Byrne ready to come into the squad in case the Munster man fails a fitness test.
Trimble took to the field in the Stade de France with 15 minutes remaining and with the cause seemingly lost, but he notched his third try in as many appearances as Ireland endeavored, but failed, to undo the damage of a nightmare first half.
His cameo was short-lived but his inclusion ahead of Bowe is unsurprising since the latter has shown only a glimpse of the form expected by many at the start of the campaign.
"Andrew getting in was just a selection issue. Trimble came off the bench in Paris and did well," the coach said. "It's a tough call on Tommy who hasn't done too badly but Andrew is looking better in that position.
"I think Tommy is disappointed with himself. He's not playing to the best of his ability but he's still young."
Girvan Dempsey also returns to the reckoning and is among the substitutes. His absence after showing some of his best form with Leinster this season has prompted more than a few raised eyebrows, but the inclusion of Trimble, a natural centre, means the Terenure fullback is needed as cover for Geordan Murphy in what looks, on paper at least, an adaptable back three.
"Girvan's been on a very good run of form and I thought when we picked the original squad of 22 from the 30, he was unlucky not to be in it because he is playing, I believe, his best rugby this season with Leinster," O'Sullivan said.
"When you are picking a bench position you can either pick an impact player - and I believe Girvan can have an impact on the game - but also I got to look at covering injury situations and we have e nough cover for wing and centre on the field at the moment and we needed cover for fullback. So it's a no brainer then to put Girvan on the bench for that reason."
Despite Wales' success last year, there are few similarities between now and 12 months ago. Coach Mike Ruddock has departed amid claims of player discontent and contractual distractions, while captain Gareth Thomas is out for at least 12 weeks after damaging a neck artery.
Suggestions of an unfocused opponent are dismissed by O'Sullivan however, who instead would prefer to focus on eliminating the errors which saw his side fall behind so dramatically in the first half in Paris.
"There's always a reaction from any team that has gone through a trauma such as a change of coach or a run of losses. It usually galvanises the team and pulls them together," he said. "They often bounce back stronger for it. Wales will want to show they're as strong as ever. We don't expect any favours from them. They'll be more fired up than usual.
"The errors that we made in Paris were pretty expensive, and they were errors that you would hope never to make in games, like block downs and interceptions and stuff like that," he said. "But we have looked at how they came about - were we being too risky or were we just not giving ourselves a good platform to keep the ball? Nuts and bolts stuff you know, nothing too catastrophic."
The coach is unrepentant in his analysis of the French game and reiterates again the pitfalls of the transition to expansive tactics. "There is a risk element anyway, if you want to play with the ball in hand, that you are going to have probably more turnovers. Its just a fact of life - the more you run and pass the ball the more at risk you are to turnovers.
"We took risks in Paris," adds O'Sullivan. "But if we stopped taking risks we mightn't have got back into the game you know. We have learned from that. Its about being accurate as well as taking risks."
Finally, there are three personnel changes and one positional switch on the Irish under-21 team to play Wales at Dubarry Park, Athlone on Friday. RTE will televise the game live.
Michael Essex comes into the backrow in place of Ross Noonan and Sean O’Brien is named at number 8 with Billy Holland taking O’Brien’s position on the substitutes bench
Conan Doyle moves from inside centre to outhalf, with Jonathon Sexton moving to the bench. Fergus McFadden steps into the inside centre position.
Ireland: G Murphy (Leicester); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D'Arcy (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), S Easterby (Llanelli), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster). Replacements: R Best (Ulster), S Best (Ulster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), J O'Connor (Wasps), E Reddan (Wasps), D Humphreys (Ulster), G Dempsey (Leinster).
Ireland U21: F Carr (Blackrock College); P Durcan (Galwegians), D Cave (Belfast Harlequins), F McFadden (UCD), M Williams (Bristol Shoguns/Hartpury College); C Doyle (Garryowen), P Marshall (Ballynahinch); D Hurley (UCC), S Philpott (capt, Belfast Harlequins), P Doran-Jones (Dublin University); D Toner (Lansdowne), D Touhy (Gloucester/Hartpury College); M Essex (UCC), E Uzoigwe (Hartpury College), S O'Brien (UCD). Replacements: S Cronin (Shannon), C Black (Worcester Warriors/Hartpury College), D McGowan (Buccaneers), B Holland (UCC), D Williams (UCC), T Gleeson (Cork Con), J Sexton (St. Mary's College).
