The 26-year-old, who played in all seven of Ulster’s Heineken Champions Cup games in 2019/20, is rewarded for creating Ireland’s only try in the 18-7 loss to England last weekend after winning two caps off the bench.

He is joined in the Ireland XV by Ulster full-back Jacob Stockdale - who scored that try at Twickenham – centre Stuart McCloskey, hooker Rob Herring and lock Iain Henderson.

Munster Rugby also have five representatives in the starting side in centre Chris Farrell, wing Keith Earls, scrum-half Conor Murray, flanker Tadhg Beirne and No.8 CJ Stander.

Leinster Rugby have four in lock and captain James Ryan, wing Hugo Keenan, prop Andrew Porter and flanker Will Connors, while Connacht Rugby have prop Finlay Bealham.

Meanwhile, France head coach Fabien Galthie gives debuts to five players – including four from Heineken Champions Cup sides – as he makes wholesale changes for Les Bleus' match against Italy on Saturday in Paris.

The debutants include Lyon lock Killian Geraci, Toulouse prop Rodrigue Neti, La Rochelle centre Jean-Pascal Barraque and RC Toulon winger Gabin Villière.

Billy Burns, a key figure for Ulster Rugby last season when they made the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup, will start at fly-half for Ireland for the first time on Sunday in their Autumn Nations Cup game against Georgia in Dublin.