Ireland defence coach Simon Easterby is happy with the team's full-back options and said Simon Zebo "wasn’t the right person at this time."
The absence of utility backs Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien through injury has opened up the question of who can back up Hugo Keenan, Ireland’s man in possession of the 15 jersey.
Three of Ireland's current squad – Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale – have previously tried out at full-back without success.
Munster’s Zebo has been in superb form over the last couple of months.
The 33-year-old won the last of 35 Ireland caps in 2017 but Easterby said they are confident with the players they have, and name-checked Munster's Jack Crowley and Leinster's Ciarán Frawley, both of whom play more regularly at out-half, as two who can step into the breach if required.
"There are a number of options," Easterby told RTÉ Sport as the squad builds up for the opening Guinness Six Nations clash against France in seven days’ time.
"On the Zeebs one, he is playing incredibly well. But we decided he wasn’t the right person at this time.
"He has an unbelievable record for Ireland and has been a fantastic player over the years. But I guess we felt like there are other guys in this group who could fit the bill.
"We know that Jack has moved from 10 to 15 in the past, we know that Ciarán has played there.
"So there are a number of players we feel could move into that position. Because Hugo has been so good, he has been impossible to shift from that position.
"And that’s great. But we certainly have needed to make sure we are covered in that area so if the worst-case scenario happens, and we lose someone like Hugo, we do have coverage. But not Zebo this time."
Meanwhile, the Ireland squad reported a clean bill of health after today's training camp in Portugal.
There had been concerns over captain Peter O’Mahony, but Easterby confirmed that the panel of 34 plus three "training panellists" took part in today’s session at Quinto do Lago.
"We’ve actually been very lucky, today, everyone has been available to train and that really shows you the work that the lads have put in themselves to get themselves ready across the last few weeks, building up through really tough European games," said the former Ireland flanker ahead of next Friday’s clash at the Velodrome in Marseille.
"We have to manage certain players because of recent or long-standing injuries and our opponents have to do the same.
"But also the way they have come into camp with loads of energy and lots of positivity."
This week’s gathering is the first time the squad have been together since losing the World Cup quarter-final to New Zealand in October and it’s a gap, Easterby reckons, that allowed everyone to turn the page.
"I’d say we’ve had plenty of a break as coaches," said Easterby
"I think we could have probably come back the next week. But it does give you the time to reflect and find out a bit more about what went on, how we could have done things better, some of the learnings.
"But our focus for a good while has been building up to this massive game in Marseille.
"I know it will be highlighted in the press in the build-up next week it’s probably a game that people thought would have been fitting for a World Cup final, but it wasn't.
"We get the second prize of going after each other in the first game in a place that most of the players and certainly the coaches haven’t been to."
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