Outside of players lost to suspension, injury and retirement, O’Sullivan has remained loyal to the side thumped 30-15 by Argentina in the final pool match of the World Cup.

There are 11 survivors from the September rout at Parc des Princes - Ireland’s last match.

The back row remains intact with in-form Leinster number eight Jamie Heaslip having to settle for a place on the bench.

Simon Easterby continues in the number six jersey and will pack down alongside Denis Leamy and openside David Wallace.

Ulster hooker Rory Best has been preferred ahead of Bernard Jackman, who is included among the substitutes, while Geordan Murphy and Andrew Trimble start on the wings. 

Wasps’ Eoin Reddan continues at scrum-half with Munster veteran Peter Stringer confined to bench duty once again.

O’Sullivan said: “There were a couple of difficult calls to make.

“The front row was hard because Rory has played very well since recovering from injury, but Jackman pushed him close.

“We looked at Jamie Heaslip because of his form but on balance we decided to leave the back row as it is.

“Scrum-half was a tight call as well. It could have gone either way between Reddan and Stringer.”

Skipper Brian O’Driscoll and prop John Hayes will win their 80th caps at Croke Park on Saturday.

Ireland finished runners-up in last season’s RBS 6 Nations, winning their third Triple Crown in four seasons, but crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage.

Ireland team for the RBS 6 Nations match against Italy at Croke Park on Saturday:
G Dempsey (Leinster); A Trimble (Ulster), O’Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D’Arcy (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester); R O’Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps); M Horan (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O’Callaghan (Munster), M O’Kelly (Leinster), S Easterby (Llanelli), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).

Replacements: B Jackman (Leinster), T Buckley (Munster), M O’Driscoll (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster), R Kearney (Leinster).