Ireland will allow injured pair Geordan Murphy and Girvan Dempsey two more days to recover before Saturday's Six Nations home match against Wales, leaving a vacancy at full-back after they named their side.

A decision on who will be selected will be made following training on Thursday, the Irish Rugby Football Union stated.

Dempsey only took part in limited training on Monday as he recovered from the injured hip that kept him out of Ireland's 34-13 victory over Scotland, while Murphy has been unable to train after suffering an Achilles injury at the weekend.

Elsewhere, fully recovered second row Paul O'Connell and hooker Rory Best are promoted to the starting line-up, replacing Mick O'Driscoll and Bernard Jackman.

Coach Eddie O'Sullivan said Jackman's relegation to the bench followed a "ropey" start to Ireland's win over Scotland that had put the home side on the back foot for a lot of the first half.

"I don't want to go into the game and risk that again," O'Sullivan told RTE.

"I have to be sensible and say look Rory [Best], he's probably proved himself," he said, adding that Best had played well in Ulster's Magners League victory over Llanelli on Friday.

The coach said he had selected his second row for similar reasons.

"Paul has come back now," O'Sullivan said. "He's had a big game at the weekend and he had a big impact off the bench, in the same way Mick had a big impact in Paris, so I suppose I'm rewarding Paul in the same way I rewarded Mick."

Ireland team: G Dempsey (Leinster) or G Murphy (Leicester); T Bowe (Ulster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), A Trimble (Ulster), R Kearney (Leinster); R O'Gara (Munster), E Reddan (Wasps); M Horan (Munster), R Best (Ulster), J Hayes (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), D Leamy (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster).

Replacements: B Jackman (Leinster), T Buckley (Munster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), P Stringer (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster), S Horgan (Leinster).

Sporting Life / Eurosport