Keenan – who made his second and third Heineken Champions Cup appearances earlier this season against Northampton Saints and Montpellier – earns his seventh Ireland cap whilst New Zealand born Lowe will make his third appearance for Ireland.

Lowe and Keenan are joined in the backs by provincial teammates fly-half Johnny Sexton and centre duo Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw, as well as Munster wing Keith Earls and scrum-half Conor Murray.

Leinster also dominate the forward pack with four players named including prop Cian Healy who is in line to make his 50th appearance in the Six Nations Championship.

Munster – who sit fourth in Heineken Champions Cup Pool B after back-to-back wins – are represented by lock Tadhg Beirne, flanker Peter O’Mahony and No.8 CJ Stander whilst the sole Ulster representative is hooker Rob Herring.

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac has named four Scarlets in his starting XV for the opening match, including veteran full-back Leigh Halfpenny and centre Johnny Williams.

Prop Wyn Jones and hooker Ken Owens also represent Scarlets, who have a 100% record so far in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup. Exeter prop Tomas Francis also starts for Wales.

Full-back Hugo Keenan and wing James Lowe are two of nine Leinster Rugby players named in Andy Farrell’s Ireland XV for their Guinness 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on Sunday.