Under 21s Face Formidable Task.

The Ireland Under 21 side, unbeaten in their two games to date, face a French side laced with talent, in Musgrave Park this evening (7.30). The Irish have made one change from the starting line-up against Italy, with John Hearty into the side in place of the injured David Warwick.

For their part, the French include a host of players who have been drawn from French Heineken Cup club squads, players such full-back Michael Etcheverria (Biarritz), his team-mate Thomas Soucaze, the Toulouse pair, out-half Benoit Baby and number 8, Gregory Lamboley who captains a French side who have already accounted for Scotland and England.

IRELAND T Bowe (Belfast Harlequins); R Lane (UCC), K Matthews (UL Bohemian), B Murphy (UL
Bohemian), J Hearty (Blackrock College); M Rainey (Dundee HSFP), F O’Loughlin (Shannon); E McGovern (Old Crescent), N Best (Belfast Harlequins), J Moran (UCD); N McCombe, (Glasgow Hawks), D Gannon (UCD); J Muldoon (Galwegians), S Keogh capt (UCC), N Ronan (Lansdowne).
Replacements: D Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins), K Corrigan (UCD), S O’Connor (Cork Institution), C Potts (St Mary’s College), C O’Loughlin (Buccaneers), D McAllister (Terenure College), P O’Brien (UCC).

FRANCE. Etcheverria (Biarritz); Sestaret (Section Paloise), Lison (Grenoble), Grandclaude (Biziers), Donguy (Brive); Baby (Stade Toulousain), Durand (Biziers); Lamboley (Stade Toulousain, capt), Soucaze (Biarritz), Nyanga (Biziers), Friand (Agen), Marchois (Stade Frangais), Bergos (Pau), Rioux (Stade Toulousain), Berhabe (Dax).
Replacements: Vigouroux (Perpignan), Forestier (Albi), Millo-Chlusky (Stade Toulousain), Deniau (Montferrand), C Garcia (Montauban), PE Garcia (Narbonne), Lafforgue (Biziers).

Referee: C Saunders (Wales).