As befits Ireland's greatest player of recent generations, and leading try-scorer of all time, it would have been fitting that Brian O'Driscoll had the honour of leading Ireland out for the first time at Croke Park tomorrow, reports Gerry Thornley.

Instead, that honour falls to Paul O'Connell, after O'Driscoll went through a rigorous 40-minute fitness test yesterday and immediately confirmed he felt his hamstring tightening up again.

Ironically, as an 11-year-old O'Driscoll played Gaelic football with Belgrove Boys Primary School but had moved to Blackrock College just before Belgrove qualified for an underage final in Croke Park, where they were beaten by Scoil Bride.

The scale of O'Driscoll's disappointment must rival the crushing and premature end to his captaincy of the Lions in New Zealand in 2005. At least this time the 71-times capped 28-year-old should certainly be fit to lead Ireland against England in a fortnight's time.

With the 73-times capped Peter Stringer also ruled out, Shane Horgan will move to inside centre, with Geordan Murphy promoted to right wing and Isaac Boss to scrumhalf, while Andrew Trimble and Eoin Reddan are called up to the bench.