O'Donovan has selected an entirely new back row with Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Eric Miller coming into the team to replace Alan Quinlan, Johnny O'Connor and Roger Wilson respectively.

The other switch from last weekend's 44-12 win in Osaka sees newly-signed Northampton centre David Quinlan earn his first senior start in a midfield partnership with Harlequins flyer Gavin Duffy.

Ireland's most-capped fly-half David Humphreys skippers the side, having recovered from the facial injury he sustained in the early stages of the first Test.

Humphreys' young Ulster colleague Matt McCullough is retained for his second cap at lock.
The Irish management will confirm their replacements bench on Friday.

O'Donovan said: ''The obvious talking point is the back row, with a new unit playing together on Sunday.

''We felt that Denis, David and Eric all deserved a run, even though we were happy with how six, seven and eight performed last week.

''The breakdown area was particularly competitive last week and we would be expecting the same again.

''In the centre, Kevin Maggs was probably one of our top performers on Sunday in winning his 70th cap, but we felt that David Quinlan would benefit from starting on Sunday to allow him to build his experience for the future.''

Ireland team to face Japan in second Test in Tokyo on Sunday, June 19, kick-off 6am BST:
G Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster); T Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), G Duffy (NEC Harlequins), D Quinlan (Northampton), A Horgan (Cork Constitution/Munster); D Humphreys (Dungannon/Ulster, capt), P Stringer (Shannon/Munster); M Horan (Shannon/Munster), F Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster), S Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), L Cullen (Leicester), M McCullough (Ballymena/Ulster), D Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster), D Wallace (Garryowen/Munster), E Miller (Terenure College/Leinster).