Hooker Dan Sheehan is in line for his first appearance since suffering a foot injury in last month’s warm-up win over England after being named among the replacements.
Ireland starting XV: Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (captain), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.Replacements: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.
South Africa
The reigning champions have recalled their star names as part of 13 personnel changes.
Hooker Bongi Mbonambi and Damian Willemse, who switches from fly-half to full-back, are the only two starting players retained from Sunday’s 76-0 thrashing of Pool B minnows Romania.
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has opted for a seven-one split of forwards and backs on a stacked bench for the Stade de France showdown.
His selection shows just one enforced alteration from the team which launched their title defence with an 18-3 win over Scotland on September 10, with Mbonambi continuing in place of Malcolm Marx, whose tournament was ended by a serious knee injury sustained in that game.
As expected, lock Eben Etzebeth has overcome a shoulder issue to take his place in a formidable XV captained by flanker Siya Kolisi. Ulster prop Steven Kitshoff starts, while Jean Kleyn, who represented Ireland at the last World Cup, and fellow Munster lock RG Snyman are among the replacements.
South Africa starting XV: Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Jasper Wiese.Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach.
