RBS 6 Nations

There are three confirmed changes from the last outing, with Mike McCarthy and Cian Healy coming into the forwards in place of Donncha O'Callaghan and Tom Court respectively.

Craig Gilroy has failed to recover sufficiently from his groin strain and has been ruled out of the game with Fergus McFadden replacing him on the right wing.

Openings has been left in the matchday 23 for the starting and replacement out-half positions as Paddy Jackson has a tight hamstring which was being carefully monitored during training this morning and a decision on both positions will be made later this week.

Jonathan Sexton will require a further week of his rehabilitation programme on his hamstring injury.

Declan Fitzpatrick has also been ruled out of the game due to a calf strain. Stephen Archer and Michael Bent have been called into the squad and a decision on the replacement prop slot will be made later this week.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v France, 2013 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, March 9, kick-off 5pm):

Club/Province/International Caps -

15 - Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster/44)
14 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster/16)
13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster/123)
12 - Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster/1)
11 - Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster/37)
10 - AN Other
9 - Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster/17)
1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster/37)
2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster/65)
3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster/27)
4 - Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht/8)
5 - Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster/26)
6 - Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster/12)
7 - Sean O'Brien (UCD/Leinster/25)
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster/55) (capt)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster/24)
17 - David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster/5)
18 - AN Other
19 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster/93)
20 - Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster/3)
21 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster/49)
22 - AN Other
23 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster/24)

Speaking ahead of Ireland's final RBS 6 Nations match against Italy, hooker Rory Best said: "We took a lot of positives from the France game, we'll take those forward and build on them. We can potentially finish third in the Championship and we're looking to end the campaign with a good win in Rome."

Speaking ahead of Ireland's upcoming RBS 6 Nations encounter with France, prop Mike Ross said: "We were enormously frustrated after the Scottish game. We're playing at home (this Saturday), it's a big source of pride for us. We want to get back to winning ways. Even though the Championship is gone, it's our home patch and you want to win every time you pull on the green jersey."

Irish Rugby TV caught up with Jenny Murphy at the Ireland Women's Sevens training camp. We spoke to the centre about the pool draw for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, the difference between Sevens training and regular training and we look forward to the game against France at Ashbourne RFC on Friday.

Speaking ahead of Ireland's upcoming RBS 6 Nations clash with France, hooker Rory Best said: "We still have two games left to play and we have to make sure we finish well. It's going to be a tough challenge against France. But we're back at home, it's a sell-out and we need to make sure we put away the chances we create more efficiently than we have done."