Garry Ringrose withdrawl sees Ireland field 35-stone centre partnership

Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has been withdrawn from the matchday squad to face Italy in the third round of the Guinness Six Nations.

Ringrose is a late pull-up with an unspecified injury and is replaced at 13 by Connacht's Bundee Aki, who moves from 12, with Stuart McCloskey replacing him from the replacements bench. Leinster utility back Jimmy O'Brien is promoted to the replacements bench in the place of the Ulsterman.

"Unfortunately Garry Ringrose has been ruled out of tomorrow’s game through injury," said the IRFU on social media. "Stuart McCloskey comes into the starting team, with Jimmy O’Brien named on the bench."

The change-up will see Kieran Crowley's Italy facing a sizeable midfield combination of Aki at 102kg and McCloskey at 111kg.

REVISED IRELAND TEAM:

15. Hugo Keenan

14. Mack Hansen

13. Bundee Aki

12. Stuart McCloskey

11. James Lowe

10. Ross Byrne

9. Craig Casey

1. Andrew Porter

2. Ronan Kelleher

3. Finlay Bealham

4. Iain Henderson

5. James Ryan

6. Caelan Doris

7. Josh van der Flier

8. Jack Conan

REPLACEMENTS:

16. Dan Sheehan

17. Dave Kilcoyne

18. Tom O’Toole

19. Ryan Baird

20. Peter O’Mahony

21. Conor Murray

22. Jack Crowley

23. Jimmy O'Brien