Ireland U20 head coach Nigel Carolan has been forced to reshuffle his back line for the 6 Nations visit of Italy to Donnybrook on Friday night [Live on RTÉ2, 7.35pm].
Brett Connon will make his first start of the championship at full-back, coming in for the injured Jack Power [hamstring], with Conor O'Brien switching from the left wing to replace Jimmy O'Brien - out with a stress fracture - at inside centre.
Sligo and Connacht scrum-half Stephen Kerins has failed to recover sufficiently from a knee injury he sustained in the game against England.
His place at No 9 will be filled by Cork Con and Munster's John Poland, who started Ireland's first two games of the championship. Niall Saunders comes into the squad and will take Poland's place on the bench.
Jacob Stockdale, who has made his presence felt in Ulster's Pro12 campaign this season, will win his seventh U20 cap as he makes his first appearance in this campaign.
Carolan has named the same starting pack that were so memorably victorious against England in Newcastle last time out.
Leinster and Lansdowne lock James Ryan, who has scored three tries in as many games, will captain the side once again.
"While it was satisfying to get the victory away to England over in Newcastle, the important thing now is that we park that win and continue to build and develop as a team," said Carolan.
"There are a couple of enforced changes to the backs and some new faces among the substitutes so it changes things up a bit as we come to the latter stages of the competition.
"Italy travel to Donnybrook having made England and Scotland work very hard to secure their wins, so I've no doubt they'll be looking to push us hard on Friday night. If we replicate our last performance, I am confident that we can come away with a successful outcome.”
Ireland U20 [v Italy]: Brett Connon [Newcastle Falcons], Hugo Keenan (UCD / Leinster), Shane Daly [Cork Con / Munster], Conor O'Brien [Clontarf / Leinster], Jacob Stockdale [Belfast Harlequins / Ulster], Johnny McPhillips [Queens University / Ulster], John Poland [Cork Con / Munster], Andrew Porter [UCD / Leinster], Adam McBurney [Ballymena / Ulster], Conán O'Donnell [Sligo / Connacht], Peter Claffey [Galwegians / Connacht], James Ryan [Lansdowne / Leinster], Cillian Gallagher [Sligo / Connacht], Will Connors [UCD / Leinster], Greg Jones [UCD / Leinster]
Replacements: Hugo Kean [St Mary's / Leinster]*, James Bollard [Dublin University / Leinster], Ben Betts [Munster / Young Munster]*, Sean O'Connor [Cashel / Munster], Max Deegan [Lansdowne / Leinster], Niall Saunders [Epsom College / Harlequins], Paul Kiernan [UCC / Munster]*, Terry Kennedy [St Mary's / Leinster]
