Ireland have named the returning Mack Hansen at full-back for their autumn international match against Australia at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
The 27-year-old was called into the squad on Monday despite being considered out of autumn series with a foot injury he picked up in Connacht’s United Rugby Championship defeat by Bulls last month.
Head coach Andy Farrell has also given Sam Prendergast the nod at fly-half ahead of Jack Crowley with centre Stuart McCloskey returning after missing last week’s 41-10 win over Japan with a groin injury sustained in the loss to New Zealand in Chicago the previous week.
Meanwhile prop Paddy McCarthy has been handed a first Test start following his debut against the All Blacks and try-scoring cameo against Japan.
The starting team selected by Farrell to face the Wallabies shows nine personnel changes from that which saw off the Brave Blossoms in rather unconvincing fashion in Dublin.
Hansen, who featured in five of the British and Irish Lions tour matches this summer, has never started at full-back for Ireland, although his past four appearances for Connacht have been in that position.
But with Jamie Osborne ruled out after being forced off with a shoulder injury in the victory over Japan and regular number 15 Hugo Keenan also absent through injury, the former Brumbies player comes in to fulfil the role.
“Within the Lions tour I hadn’t seem him [Hansen] in better form but obviously the foot injury stopped that progress,” Farrell told reporters on Thursday.
“He’s got the bit within his teeth with regard to what he learnt on that tour, he’s come into the group, got across his work and trained the house down on Tuesday.
“So he has proved to us that he’s up for this and ready and able. Every time Mack has played for us as a winger he has always covered full-back and able to get across the work there so we get to see that in action.”