Munster flanker Dorothy Wall will make her maiden Ireland start in Saturday's Women's Six Nations encounter with Italy in Dublin.

Wall, who has won three caps from the bench, is joined in the back row by the returning Claire Molloy and captain Ciara Griffin.

Ulster duo Neve Jones and Brittany Hogan are set to make their international bows from the bench.

Replacement prop Katie O'Dwyer could also make her Ireland debut.

Before the Covid-19 halted the Six Nations, Adam Griggs' side won two of their three matches, with impressive wins over Scotland and Wales followed by defeat in England.

Ireland sit fourth in the standings and will be aiming for a strong result against Italy before the concluding match away to France on 1 November.

For the resumption of the tournament against Italy at Donnybrook, Griggs has elected for a combination of youth and experience.

Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney and Linda Djougang all start in the front row for the fourth game in succession with Nichola Fryday and Ciara Cooney behind them in the second row.

Wall, 20, starts at blindside flanker with the experienced duo of Molloy, who wins her 70th cap, and Griffin.

Hannah Tyrell makes her first start of the campaign at fly-half and will partner Ulster scrum-half Kathryn Dane.

Enya Breen and Sene Naoupu will start at centre while Beibhinn Parsons, Lauren Delaney and Eimear Considine all link up in the back three.

Jones, O'Dwyer and Hogan are set to make their debuts from the bench with Laura Feely and Hannah O'Connor completing the cover for the forward pack.

Ailsa Hughes, Larissa Muldoon and Katie Fitzhenry, who featured in the World Rugby Sevens Series along with Tyrrell and Hogan, will give Griggs further options in the backline.

"No one across Irish Rugby in the women's game is actually able to pull on a jersey and play right now and yet here we are already privileged to represent our country and be one of the only teams actually playing in these times," said Griggs.

"It's not lost on us and we want to make sure that we perform really well and give everyone watching something to cheer about come the final whistle."

"I think the beauty of what we've got now is such a competitive wider squad and some of those selections weren't as straight forward as you think. Some of those players who've missed out can take credit for how hard they've pushed these girls."

Ireland: Considine, Delaney; Naoupu, Breen; Parsons; Tyrrell, Dane; Peat, Moloney, Djougang; Fryday, Cooney; Wall, Molloy, Griffin.

Replacements: Jones, O'Dwyer, Feely, Hogan, O'Connor, Hughes, Muldoon, Fitzhenry.