Ronan O'Gara's ankle injury has ruled the Ireland number 10 out of Sunday's Six Nations curtain raiser against Scotland at Murrayfield. David Humphreys takes his place at out-half.
Despite being involved in light training yesterday and again this morning with the Ireland squad, the injury picked up in Munster's Celtic League final victory over Neath last Saturday week has failed to recover.
Humphreys place on the replacements bench will be filled by Paul Burke, who had been drafted into the squad as cover earlier this week.
Elsewhere, there is no place in the starting line-up for Leicester's in-form full-back Geordan Murphy. Murphy has been inspired for the Tigers this season but could not win a place ahead of Leinster's Girvan Dempsey who has fully recovered from a recent groin strain.
Brian O'Driscoll, as expected, will lead out the side in Murrayfield in the continued absence of Keith Wood while Denis Hickie returns to international action having missed the win over Argentina in November.
Up-front, Shane Byrne holds on to the number 2 jersey and Ulster's Gary Longwell gets the nod to partner Malcolm O'Kelly in the second row.
Meanwhile, Ireland's second string includes two British and Irish Lions and eight other full internationals for the A international against Scotland in Stirling on Saturday night.
Centre Rob Henderson and back row Eric Miller provide the team with Lions experience from the 2001 and 1997 tours respectively, Henderson in a bid to gain vital match time after over three months out with an arm injury.
The former Wasps man partners Gordon D'Arcy in the Irish A midfield with Ulster's Jimmy Topping and Munster duo John Kelly and Jeremy Staunton completing an all-international three-quarter line.
Justin Fitzpatrick, Mick O'Driscoll, Simon Easterby and Kieron Dawson are the senior caps in the forwards. Scrum-half Neil Doak captains the side coached by Leinster's Matt Williams.
Ireland: 15 Girvan Dempsey (Leinster/Terenure College), 14 Shane Horgan (Leinster/Lansdowne), 13 Brian ODriscoll (Leinster/Blackrock College, capt), 12 Kevin Maggs (Bath), 11 Denis Hickie (Leinster/ St. Marys College), 10 David Humphreys (Ulster/Dungannon), 9 Peter Stringer (Munster/Shannon), 8 Anthony Foley (Munster/Shannon), 7 Keith Gleeson (Leinster/St. Marys College), 6 Victor Costello (Leinster/St. Marys College), 5 Malcolm OKelly (Leinster/St. Marys College), 4 Gary Longwell (Ulster/Ballymena), 3 John Hayes (Munster/Shannon), 2 Shane Byrne (Leinster/Blackrock College), 1 Reggie Corrigan (Leinster/Greystones)
Replacements: 16 Frank Sheahan (Munster/Cork Constitution), 17 Marcus Horan (Munster/Shannon), 18 Leo Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock College), 19 Alan Quinlan (Munster/Shannon), 20 Guy Easterby (Llanelli), 21 Paul Burke (Harlequins), 22 Geordan Murphy (Leicester)
Ireland A: 15 Jeremy Staunton (Munster/Garrryowen), 14 James Topping (Ulster/Ballymena), 13 Gordon Darcy (Leinster/Lansdowne), 12 Rob Henderson (Munster/Young Munster), 11 John Kelly (Munster/Cork Constitution), 10 Barry Everitt (London Irish), 9 Neil Doak (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins) Captain
1 Justin Fitzpatrick (Ulster/Dungannon), 2 Paul Shields (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins), 3 Simon Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins), 4 Donnacha O'Callaghan (Munster/Cork Constitution), 5 Mick O'Driscoll (Munster/ Cork Constitution), 6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli), 7 Kieron Dawson (London Irish), 8 Eric Miller (Leinster/Terenure College)
Replacements: 16 James Blaney (Munster/Shannon), 17 Peter Bracken (Connacht/Galwegians), 18 Bob Casey (London Irish), 19 Aidan McCullen (Leinster/Lansdowne), 20 Brian O'Meara (Leinster/ Cork Constitution), 21 Bryn Cunningham (Ulster/Dungannon), 22 David Quinlan (Leinster/Blackrock College).