However having been put through his paces with the rest of the Ireland squad coach Declan Kidney has given him the all clear to wear the captains armband for the Springboks clash.

Wing Luke Fitzgerald also starts for the first time in nearly a year and will be joined in the back three positions by Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney.

Eoin Reddan has been given the nod at scrum-half while Paddy Wallace, Andrew Trimble and Keith Earls battle it out for the remaining replacement slot.

Ireland team to play South Africa

Robert, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Cian Healy, Rory Best, Tony Buckley, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Stephen Ferris, David Wallace, Jamie Heaslip

Replacements: Sean Cronin, Tom Court, Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara