Winger Shane Horgan has been recalled to the Ireland team for their World Cup opener against Romania in Gosford, Australia, on Saturday.
Horgan missed Ireland's last 10 tests because of a thigh injury but was brought back into the starting XV after coach Eddie O'Sullivan decided to field his strongest lineup for the opening match.
"We will be playing our strongest team right the way through," O'Sullivan told a news conference.
"There are four weeks and four games for us to put our best foot forward and that may involve making changes for whatever reason, but it will always be the best team we can put on the field."
O'Sullivan also recalled tighthead prop John Hayes, who has not played for seven months, on the reserves bench. Hayes is likely to regain his place in the starting side later in the tournament but O'Sullivan wants to ease him back in after such a long layoff.
Girvan Dempsey was named at fullback after Geordan Murphy was ruled out of the tournament with a broken leg.
British and Irish Lions hooker Keith Wood will lead the team.
"I said all along he [Wood] is very important to us," said O'Sullivan. "His strengths are not just on the field as a player and a leader but his strengths are good off the field as well. He contributes very well to the squad, he is really a leader in every sense of the word."
Ireland XV- 15-Girvan Dempsey; 14-Shane Horgan, 13-Brian O'Driscoll, 12-Kevin Maggs, 11-Denis Hickie; 10-David Humphreys, 9-Peter Stringer; 8-Anthony Foley, 7-Keith Gleeson, 6-Victor Costello, 5-Paul O'Connell, 4-Malcolm O'Kelly, 3-Reggie Corrigan, 2-Keith Wood (captain), 1-Marcus Horan.
Replacements:16-Shane Byrne, 17-John Hayes, 18-Donnacha O'Callaghan, 19-Alan Quinlan, 20-Guy Easterby, 21-Ronan O'Gara, 22-John Kelly.