Ireland suffered a major blow ahead of Saturday's clash against France after captain Johnny Sexton was ruled out with a minor hamstring strain and his understudy at flyhalf Joey Carbery was handed a first Six Nations start.
Ireland have become increasingly reliant on Sexton in recent years with injuries limiting Carbery to 28 caps, most off the bench, and nobody else coming close to challenging the 36-year-old Leinster talisman for the number 10 jersey.
Coach Andy Farrell said he did not want to risk anything that would take Sexton out of the competition completely. Ireland's next game of the championship after the trip to Paris is at home to Italy on 27 February.
"It's a small hamstring strain that's definitely going to keep him out of this weekend but we don't envisage it being difficult at all. It might be a week to 10 days," Farrell told a news conference.
Carbery played in the last World Cup and came off the bench to close out Ireland's first-ever victory against New Zealand in 2016 but a succession of injuries has kept his Six Nations involvement to just seven appearances off the bench.
Carbery was the only change from the side who cruised past Wales 29-7 last weekend with fit-again British and Irish Lions Robbie Henshaw and Iain Henderson coming in to add considerable impact to the bench.
Ireland and France both beat New Zealand in some style last November and top the Six Nations standings after opening their campaigns with bonus-point wins.
Ireland team: 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster) 17 caps, 14. Andrew Conway (Munster) 28 caps, 13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster) 38 caps 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht) 34 caps, 11. Mack Hansen (Connacht) 1 cap, 10. Joey Carbery (Munster) 28 caps, 9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 13 caps, 8. Jack Conan (Leinster) 23 caps, 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster) 36 caps, 6. Caelan Doris (Leinster) 13 caps, 5. James Ryan (Leinster, captain) 41 caps, 4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster) 26 caps, 3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster) 53 caps, 2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster) 17 caps, 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster) 41 caps
Replacements: 16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster) 3 caps, 17. Cian Healy (Leinster) 113 caps, 18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht) 19 caps, 19. Iain Henderson (Ulster) 65 caps, 20. Peter O'Mahony (Munster) 80 caps, 21. Conor Murray (Munster) 93 caps, 22. Jack Carty (Connacht) 10 caps, 23. Robbie Henshaw (Leinster) 53 caps.
