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Ireland v France: Facts & Figures

Ireland v France: Facts & Figures

We look at some of the facts and figures ahead of next weekend’s trio of Ireland v France Six Nations matches – the Under-20s and Women’s fixtures in Athlone and Ashbourne on Friday and Saturday’s big clash for Declan Kidney’s men at the Aviva Stadium.

RBS UNDER-20 6 NATIONS: Friday, March 8

IRELAND UNDER-20s (4th) v FRANCE UNDER-20s (5th), Dubarry Park, Athlone, 7.45pm (live RTÉ Two/RTÉ website)

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– The Ireland Under-20s have won their last four home games, all played in Athlone

– The Ireland Under-20s’ last six encounters in the Six Nations have all been won by the home side on the day

– The France Under-20s have lost three of their last four games at this level

– France have lost their last two games in the Under-20 Six Nations but have never lost three in-a-row in the competition

– Ireland have won their last two encounters against the French Under-20s, beating them 13-12 in Grenoble in last year’s Six Nations and claiming an 18-7 5th-6th place play-off victory at the IRB Junior World Championship in Cape Town

– The France Under-20s have visited Dubarry Park three times before, winning 38-13 on their most recent visit in 2011

– Centre Tom Daly is Ireland’s top points scorer from the opening three rounds of the 2013 Six Nations, scoring a try, three conversions and four penalties for a 23-point haul

Match Ticket Info: Tickets are on sale at the Bounty. Family tickets are excellent value at €;30 for two adults and two children in the covered terrace. Discount vouchers are available to schools.

Stand tickets cost €;20 each and are selling fast already, as is the pre-match function where you can enjoy a three-course meal with wine and also have a reserved seat in the stand for only €;40 per person.

Group bookings are welcome. All pre-match function and/or match ticket enquiries/bookings to Geraldine at 0861732711. Click here for further information.

IRELAND U-20: Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); David Panter (Corinthians/Connacht), Tom Daly (Lansdowne/Leinster), Rory Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Rory Scholes (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster); Steve Crosbie (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster) (capt); Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster), George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcon/Exiles), Christopher Taylor (Malone/Ulster), Gavin Thornbury (UCD/Leinster), John Donnan (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Conor Joyce (Malone/Ulster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Murphy (Dolphin/Munster).

Replacements: John Andrew (Ballymena/Ulster), Ryan Furniss (Worcester Warriors/Exiles), Adam Boland (Lansdowne/Leinster), Sean McCarthy (Shannon/Munster), Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster), John Creighton (Malone/Ulster), Mark Roche (Lansdowne/Connacht), Darragh Leader (Galwegians/Connacht).

FRANCE U-20: Nicolas Metge (SC Albi); Florian Vialelle (Castres Olympique), Gaël Fickou (Toulouse), Thibaut Regard (Lyon OU), Stephen Parez (Racing Metro 92); Vincent Mallet (Stade Francais), Yohan Domenech (RC Narbonne); Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Romain Ruffenach (Biarritz Olympique), Khatchik Vartanov (Racing Metro 92), Jean-Baptiste Singer (Clermont Auvergne), Paul Jedrasiak (Clermont Auvergne) (capt), Jean-Blaise Lespinasse (US Montauban), Francois Cros (Toulouse), Mathieu Babillot (Castres Olympique).

Replacements: Oleg Ishchenko (Montpellier HRC), Alexis Valette (Racing Metro 92), Pascal Cotet (USA Perpignan), Leo Bastien (SU Agen), Baptiste Serin (USB-CABBG), Enzo Selponi (Montpellier HRC), Etienne Dussartre (Racing Metro 92), Yacouba Camara (RC Massy Essone).

Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant Referees: Ian Tempest, Ashley Rowden (both England)
Television Match Official: Trevor Fisher (England)

WOMEN’S RBS 6 NATIONS: Friday, March 8

IRELAND WOMEN (1st) v FRANCE WOMEN (2nd), Ashbourne RFC, 7.30pm (Irish Rugby TV live stream/RTÉ website/2FM)

– Ireland secured a first ever Triple Crown with their 30-3 victory over Scotland in round 3

– The Ireland Women have lost just one of their last eight matches at this level: 23-6 to England at Esher last March

– The Ireland Women have won their last five home games, all played at Ashbourne RFC

– France Women’s only defeat in their last five matches was 13-12 to Italy in Rovato on February 2

– Ireland’s only victory in 19 previous encounters with France Women was 7-5 in Ashbourne on February 6, 2009

– Ireland winger Alison Miller is out on her own as the top try scorer in this year’s Women’s Six Nations with five tries in three outings, including that famous hat-trick against defending champions England

– Miller’s back-three colleague, full-back Niamh Briggs, has scored 27 points so far (two tries, four conversions and three penalties), putting her second behind leading scorer Amber Reed from England (31 points)

Match Ticket Info: Tickets for the game, priced at 10 euro for adults and 5 euro for children, OAPs and students, can be purchased in advance from the following outlets: JR’s Newagents in Main Street, Ashbourne and Allrooms, 31, Upper Liffey Street, Dublin 1 (beside the side entrance to M&S at the Jervis Street Centre).

You will also be able to pay at the gate – adults €;10, car of 4 people €;20, students, kids and OAPs €;5.

The Old Belvedere Women’s team run a supporters’ bus from Dublin to Ashbourne for 20 euro which includes transport to the game and entry to the match. Click here for further information.

IRELAND WOMEN: Niamh Briggs (UL Bohemians/Munster); Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Lynne Cantwell (Richmond/Exile), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Alison Miller (Portlaoise/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Larissa Muldoon (UWIC/Exile); Fiona Coghlan (UL Bohemians/Leinster) (capt), Gillian Bourke (UL Bohemians/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Mowden Park Sharks/Exile), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Siobhan Fleming (Tralee/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Exile), Joy Neville (UL Bohemians/Munster).

Replacements: Stacey-Lea Kennedy (City of Derry/Ulster), Fiona Hayes (UL Bohemians/Munster), Lauren Day (Waterloo/Exile), Leigh Dargan (Saracens/Exile), Laura Guest (Highfield/Munster), Amy Davis (Blackrock College/Ulster), Grace Davitt (Cooke/Ulster), Niamh Kavanagh (UL Bohemians/Munster).

FRANCE WOMEN: Caroline Ladagnous (Lons); Julie Billes (Perpignan), Marjorie Mayans (Saint Orens), Lucille Godiveau (Rennes), Elodie Guiglion (Perpignan); Sandrine Agricole (Rennes), Marie Alice Yahé (Perpignan); Hélène Ezanno (Rennes), Gaëlle Mignot (Montpellier), Elodie Portaries (Montpellier), Sandra Rabier (Ovalie Caennaise), Marine De Nadaï (Montpellier), Coumba Tombe Diallo (Bobigny), Laetitia Grand (Lons), Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier).

Replacements: Laetitia Salles (La Valette), Assa Koïta (Bordeaux), Christelle Chobet (Lons), Lenaig Corson (Rennes), Manon André (Saint Orens), Jessy Trémoulière (Romagnat), Aurélie Bailon (Montpellier), Jade Le Pesq (Rennes).

Referee: Nicky Inwood (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Ken Henley-Willis, Gary Glennon (both Ireland)

RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 9

IRELAND (4th) v FRANCE (6th), Aviva Stadium, 5pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One)

STATS & FACTS

– Ireland have lost consecutive matches in the RBS 6 Nations for the first time since 2008, but have not lost three in-a-row in a single Championship since 1998

– Ireland have only ever lost three previous round 4 fixtures: in 2005, 2008 and 2011

– France have lost their last three Test matches but have not lost four in-a-row since 1989

– Les Bleus have lost five successive matches in the RBS 6 Nations – their worst run in the Championship since 1958

– The French are winless in their last six RBS 6 Nations matches and have not gone seven games without a win in the tournament since 1927

– France have lost in round 4 of the Championship in three of the last four seasons

– Ireland’s only victory in their last 13 clashes with France since 2003 was 30-21 at Croke Park on February 7, 2009

– Despite picking up just one victory in the last nine, Ireland have averaged over 2.1 tries to France’s 2.8 per game in this period

ON THE PITCH

– Ireland have missed fewer tackles (29) than any other side in the RBS 6 Nations this season and have the best tackle completion rate in the Championship (92%)

– Only Kelly Brown (43) has made more tackles than Thierry Dusautoir (37) in this year’s Championship, although the latter has not missed a single attempt

Sean O’Brien has made more carries (44) than anyone else in the tournament, second to him is France number 8 Louis Picamoles (41)

Keith Earls has more clean breaks to his name (4) than any other player in the RBS 6 Nations after three rounds

– France backs Mathieu Bastareaud and Yoann Huget have evaded 10 tackles so far in the tournament, no other player has more

– Donnacha Ryan has won more lineouts (14) than any other player in the RBS 6 Nations after three rounds. France’s Yoann Maestri is joint-second in this category with 13

IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Luke Marshall (Ballymena/Ulster), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster); Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) (capt).

Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution/Munster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster).

FRANCE: Yoann Huget (Toulouse); Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne), Maxime Medard (Toulouse); Frederic Michalak (Toulon), Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne); Thomas Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont Auvergne), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Christophe Samson (Castres Olympique), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse) (capt), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).

Replacements: Guilhem Guirado (Perpignan), Vincent Debaty (Clermont Auvergne), Luc Ducalcon (Racing Metro 92), Sebastien Vahaamahina (Perpignan), Antonie Claassen (Castres Olympique), Maxime Machenaud (Racing Metro 92), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon).

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes, Greg Garner (both England)
Television Match Official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)

– Compiled By SFMS Limited (Stuart Farmer Media Services)

RBS 6 Nations Statistics with Accenture