IRFU Live Blog: Ireland v France
Join us for live text commentary of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations showdown with France at the Aviva Stadium today (kick-off 4.50pm), as Joe Schmidt’s men play their first home match of the 2017 Championship.
On the couch, in the clubhouse, on the move? You can follow all the action from Ireland v France with our IRFU Live Blog this evening.
If you don’t have a ticket for Ireland’s eagerly-awaited encounter with the French (kick-off 4.50pm), you can keep track of the game on our IRFU Live Blog, featuring:
– Live match updates and stats and all the build-up from the Aviva Stadium
– Your tweets and photos
– Post-match reaction from Joe Schmidt and the players
Today’s round 3 fixture in Dublin is being broadcast live on RTÉ Two, ITV/UTV, FR2, RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio Ulster. You can follow every tackle and try on the IRFU Live Blog – #IREvFRA, #TeamOfUs and #ShouldertoShoulder.
Joe Schmidt has made three changes to the Ireland team that gained a bonus point victory in Rome in the last round. Jack McGrath and Cian Healy once again switch between starting at number 1 and bench duty.
Fit-again skipper Rory Best returns at hooker and Jonathan Sexton has shaken off a calf injury to start at out-half with Paddy Jackson reverting to the replacements.
The bench includes two others – Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Trimble – named for the first time in this year’s Championship, as well as Iain Henderson who has recovered from a hamstring knock.
The Ireland team has 700 Test caps between them, the bench has a further 234 caps. The average age of the walk-on team is 28.9 years and the average on the bench is 27.2.