Ireland have included injury doubt Rory Best in their starting line-up as they name an unchanged team for the World Cup quarter-final against Wales.
Best injured his shoulder during the 36-6 Pool C win over Italy on Sunday.
The hooker's AC joint is responding well to treatment, but Sean Cronin is on standby to start should the Ulster player fail to prove his fitness.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney said: "The decision could go right to the end, we'll make it when we have to make it."
Kidney said the hooker was making "great progress" but added: "I wouldn't want to tempt fate by rating Rory's chances, but he's not ruled out, which is always the first sign.
"He had a good day yesterday (Tuesday) which everyone was very positive about."
Ronan O'Gara and Conor Murray retain their places at half-back after impressing during the comprehensive win over the Azzurri, with Jonathan Sexton and Eoin Reddan - who had started the tournament as the first-choice half-back pairing - on the bench.
Kidney said the battle for the outside-half and scrum-half spots was the "most competitive area" in the team.
"I know it's unconventional to use different half-backs at different times," said Kidney.
"When they've been on the pitch they've brought their own things to it.
"For example, Jonathan was hugely strong for us in defence in the last 10 minutes against Italy. Eoin robbed two great balls for us in the last 10-15 minutes.
"Leaving them out isn't easy, but Conor and Ronan have gone quite well for us."
Ireland have beaten Wales in nine of their previous 12 meetings, although Wales won the most recent encounter between the two nations after a controversial victory at this year's Six Nations.
Kidney believed Warren Gatland's men had added unpredictability to their attacking play, making them more dangerous opponents.
"They're showing different trends in the way they play, but are more unpredictable than before," he said.
"If it was possible to read them before, it's more difficult now."
Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster) or S Cronin (Leinster), M Ross (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), S O'Brien (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster).
Replacements: S Cronin (Leinster) or D Varley (Munster), T Court (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), D Leamy (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster).
