Andy Farrell places faith in new faces - and Jacob Stockdale at full-back

'Will (Connors) has obviously been involved with us before and he has been chomping at the bit for a while'

Head coach Andy Farrell: Has put in faith in some new faces in the Ireland set-up. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland

Andy Farrell is confident that Will Connors and Hugo Keenan are ready to hit the ground running when they make their Test debuts for Ireland against Italy this Saturday.

The Leinster pair have been named in Farrell's starting XV for the delayed Six Nations fixture at the Aviva Stadium, Connors alongside Caelan Doris and CJ Stander in the back row and Keenan in a back three with Andrew Conway on the other wing and Jacob Stockdale at 15.