Farrell makes late calls on Keenan, Nash and O’Mahony

Garry Ringrose, who missed the trip to France with a shoulder injury, will also be assessed.

Calvin Nash at the IRFU High Performance Centre, 

Ireland are expecting an improved Italy when Gonzalo Quesada’s team pitch up at the Aviva Stadium for Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations clash.

Ireland will go into the round-two encounter as hot favourites to continue where they left off in Marseille last Friday night, with a five-try, bonus-point 38-17 victory over France that exceeded expectations following the hammer blow of a World Cup quarter-final exit the previous October.