Paul O’Connell has been ruled out due to his fractured thumb and Mick O’Driscoll moves up from the replacements bench to make his first RBS 6 Nations Championship start for Ireland.  Trevor Hogan comes into the squad in the replacements for the first time in the 6 Nations.
Both Marcus Horan and Simon Best are named at loosehead prop, with the Ireland management giving Horan as much time as possible to recover from his calf strain.  If he is not fit to play, Simon Best will again start and Bryan Young will be among the replacements
The team will be captained by Brian O’Driscoll for the 37th time.
The Ireland team to play Italy in the RBS 6 Nations Championship on Saturday, 17th March 2007 in the Stadio Flaminio, Rome at 13.30hrs is as follows:

Player                                          Club                                         Caps
15 - Girvan Dempsey                  Terenure College/Leinster           73
14 - Shane Horgan                     Lansdowne/Leinster                     54
13 - Brian O’Driscoll Captain       Blackrock College/Leinster            73
12 - Gordon D’Arcy                     Lansdowne/Leinster                     30
11 - Denis Hickie                          St.Mary’s College/Leinster            57
10 - Ronan O’Gara                      Cork Constitution/Munster           70
9 - Peter Stringer                       Shannon/Munster                          75
1 - Marcus Horan                       Shannon/Munster                          45
or  Simon Best                        Belfast Harlequins/Ulster       15
2 - Rory Best                           Belfast Harlequins/Ulster       11
3 - John Hayes                           Bruff/Munster                                 72
4 - Donncha O’Callaghan            Cork Constitution/Munster             34
5 - Mick O’Driscoll                        Cork Constitution/Munster              8
6 - Simon Easterby                     Llanelli                                            56
7 - David Wallace                       Garryowen/Munster                        36
8 - Denis Leamy                         Cork Constitution/Munster              21

Replacements:
16 - Jerry Flannery                     Shannon/Munster                                 13
17 - Simon Best                       Belfast Harlequins/Ulster             15
or Bryan Young                        Ballymena/Ulster                             5
18 - Trevor Hogan                       Shannon/Munster                                 2
19 - Neil Best                            Belfast Harlequins/Ulster             10
20 - Eoin Reddan                         Wasps                                                    1
21 - Paddy Wallace                 Ballymena/Ulster                            3
22 - Andrew Trimble               Ballymena/Ulster                          13

Not Considered due to injury:
Isaac Boss (Ballymena/Ulster) {shoulder}
Malcolm O’Kelly (St.Mary’s College/Leinster) {knee}
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) {Hand}