Tomas O’Leary and Luke Fitzgerald have both missed out on selection for Ireland’s final World Cup squad with rookie scrum-half Conor Murray and Leinster three-quarter Fergus McFadden the surprise inclusions.
Leicester full-back Geordan Murphy is also included, earning a reprieve after young Munster full-back Felix Jones was ruled out by the ankle injury that he suffered in the 26-22 defeat to France.
O’Leary, who alternated as Ireland’s first choice with Eoin Reddan during the RBS 6 Nations, was disappointing in the defeat to Les Bleus, throwing a wild intercept pass for France’s second try, as well as giving François Trinh-Duc the opportunity to knock over a long range drop goal with an aimless clearance kick.
And it is his young Munster teammate Murray who is the beneficiary, the 22-year-old scrum-half having only made his Ireland debut during the warm-up tests.
McFadden, who can play both centre and on the wing, pips his Leinster teammate Fitzgerald, a Lions tourist just two years ago.
And the opportunity for Murphy is an ironic twist after the 33-year-old missed out on World Cup selection eight years ago after breaking his leg in the build-up.
“Geordan – isn’t that a real case of the highs and lows of sport?” said head coach Declan Kidney.
“I was involved eight years ago when Geordan broke his leg in Edinburgh. Now he gets his opportunity here too.
“He is an experienced man and brings a lot off the pitch as well as on it.
“We went through a situation in the Six Nations when Geordan, Rob and Felix were all injured. Two of the three are fit now.
“It is a specialist position and you need to know what you are doing, especially at this level.”
Ireland squad: R Best (Ulster), I Boss (Leinster), T Bowe (Ospreys), T Buckley (Sale), T Court (Ulster), S Cronin (Leinster), L Cullen (Leinster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), J Flannery (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), F McFadden (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester), C Murray (Munster), S O’Brien (Leinster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), P O’Connell (Munster), B O’Driscoll (Leinster, capt), R O’Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), M Ross (Leinster), D Ryan (Munster), J Sexton (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster), D Wallace (Munster)
