Ireland captain Johnny Sexton was all but ruled out of starting Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy after it was confirmed James Ryan will skipper the side.
The fly-half is recovering from a groin injury after leading Ireland to wins over Wales and France.
Munster’s Joey Carbery has been called into the squad and joins Sexton, Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley as Ireland’s fly-half options.
“Certainly, there is an opportunity there to rest Sexton,” O’Sullivan said.
“Let’s face it, Ireland are number one in the world and Italy are number 12 in the world. We should be able to beat Italy in Rome on form alone.”
The IRFU said Sexton had been continuing his rehabilitation of the injury but Carbery, who missed out on selection for the initial squad, had been drafted in as cover.
NEW CAPTAIN:
Five players Scotland want to swap nations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup
We take a look at four rugby union players who could swap nations to represent Scotland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Nobody has more players born overseas in the Six Nations than the Scots, with 21 of their current squad hailing from other countries.
This method of talent spotting has helped Gregor Townsend transform his squad from fodder into genuine title contenders.
He’s also not done, with five more players linked with changing their allegiances prior to the fast approaching 2023 Rugby World Cup.
#1. Ben Healy
Age: 23
Position: Fly-half
Honours: Ireland U20
Healy will join Edinburgh this summer on a two-year deal.
The 23-year-old represented Ireland at under-20 level but qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents.
Healy has featured for the Irish province since 2019, amassing 275 points from 47 appearances.
“It’s clear how much they want to play. I’m looking forward to putting myself into a new environment and seeing how I go,” Healy told Edinburgh’s website.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Munster for their support over the last few seasons. I’ve loved every minute of my time playing with the club, but I felt now was the right time to take on a new and exciting challenge in Edinburgh.”