Guinness Men’s Six Nations: France v Ireland

Ireland have won more Guinness Men’s Six Nations first round matches – 19 out of 26 – than any other team, and that record will be put to the test when they take on France on the 2026 Championship’s opening night in Paris.

2026 GUINNESS MEN’S SIX NATIONS – ROUND 1:

Thursday, February 5 –

FRANCE v IRELAND, Stade de France, kick-off 9.10pm local time/8.10pm Irish time (live Virgin Media One/Virgin Media Play/ITV 1/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio 5 Live/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Sounds/IRFU Live Blog)

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Team News: Tommy O’Brien and Cian Prendergast will make their Guinness Men’s Six Nations debuts, coming in as two of the seven personnel changes made by head coach Andy Farrell to the Ireland team that played South Africa in November.

Other notable inclusions are Munster prop Jeremy Loughman, who earns his first Six Nations start, Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale, who is set for his first Championship appearance since 2021, and Michael Milne and Nick Timoney are both standing by to make their Six Nations bows off the bench.

Loughman steps up to don the number 1 jersey, following injuries to Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, and Jack Boyle, with Dan Sheehan and Thomas Clarkson completing the front row. The game has come too soon for Tadhg Furlong in his recovery from a calf issue.

Joe McCarthy, who missed the November Tests due to a foot injury, returns alongside Tadhg Beirne in the second row, and Connacht captain Prendergast slots in at blindside flanker, with captain Caelan Doris at number 8, and Josh van der Flier on the openside.

Prendergast and his younger sibling, 22-year-old out-half Sam, will become the first brothers to start a Test match together for Ireland since Niall and Rory Scannell played against Japan during the 2017 summer tour.

It will be the first time it has happened in the Six Nations since Rob and Dave Kearney lined out against France ten years ago.

Sam Prendergast, the winner of the Six Nations’ BKT Rising Star award last year, pairs up again with Jamison Gibson-Park at half-back, while the centre berths outside them are filled by Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose, on the occasion of his 70th cap.

Rewarded for his provincial form, Stockdale has edged out James Lowe for a place on the left wing, Leinster ace O’Brien will be hoping to add to his five Test tries on the right, and full-back Jamie Osborne will play for the first time since injuring his shoulder against Japan three months ago.

The Ireland coaches have strong options as part of a six-two bench split. Milne, the twice-capped prop, and Timoney are among the forward replacements alongside Rónan Kelleher, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, and Jack Conan, a try scorer during last March’s 42-27 defeat to France.

With Munster duo Craig Casey and Jack Crowley completing the matchday 23, Farrell said: “I’ve been pleased with the application of the squad since we linked up last week, and we’ve a good body of work under our belts from our training camp in Portugal as we face into an exciting Test match against France.

“The Six Nations is an amazing tournament to compete in and it brings out the best in players. We have played at the Stade de France many times and it’s a terrific stadium with an incredible atmosphere.

“We know from our experiences on the road how proud and vocal the travelling Irish support can be, and it’s a huge motivator for the squad knowing that we have so many Irish supporters behind us.”

As well as battling out it for crucial Six Nations points, the teams will be playing for the new Solidarity / Solidarité Trophy, a landmark addition to the Championship, which will be awarded annually to the winners of the Ireland-France clashes in both the Men’s and Women’s senior competitions.

Meanwhile, France captain Antoine Dupont will make his first international appearance in almost a year, having returned from his ACL injury with five recent starts for his club Toulouse.

Matthieu Jalibert replaces the injured Romain Ntamack at out-half, in a back-line that features four players from Bordeaux-Bègles, last year’s Investec Champions Cup winners. Club-mates Nicolas Depoortère and Yoram Moefana team up together in midfield.

Thomas Ramos and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the 2025 Six Nations’ Player of the Championship and top try scorer, are joined in the back-three by 21-year-old winger Théo Attissogbe who, like Depoortère, faces Ireland for the first time at this level.

With former skipper Grégory Alldritt not included in France’s tournament squad, Toulouse’s Anthony Jelonch is handed his first start at number 8 since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Charles Ollivon moves to the second row, with Thibaud Flament unavailable as he is attending his wife’s scheduled fertility treatment.

Compared to the pack that started last November’s 48-33 victory over Australia, head coach Fabien Galthié also brings in Dorian Aldegheri at tighthead prop, Lyon lock Mickaël Guillard, and François Cros and La Rochelle youngster Oscar Jegou in the back row.

Les Bleus have also opted for a six-two bench split, and their reinforcements include 20-year-old centre Kalvin Gourgues, a debutant against the Wallabies last time out, and Montpellier back rower Lenni Nouchi, who captained France to the World Rugby Under-20 Championship title in 2023.

IRELAND: Jamie Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster); Tommy O’Brien (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Garry Ringrose (UCD RFC/Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Bangor RFC/Ulster), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan RFC/Ulster); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Jeremy Loughman (Garryowen FC/Munster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne FC/Munster), Cian Prendergast (UCD RFC/Connacht), Josh van der Flier (UCD RFC/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College RFC/Leinster) (capt).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Michael Milne (UCD RFC/Munster), Finlay Bealham (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), James Ryan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Nick Timoney (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Craig Casey (Shannon RFC/Munster), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution RFC/Munster).

FRANCE: Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain); Théo Attissogbe (Section Paloise), Nicolas Depoortère (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Yoram Moefana (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Union Bordeaux-Bègles); Matthieu Jalibert (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain) (capt); Jean-Baptiste Gros (RC Toulon), Julien Marchand (Stade Toulousain), Dorian Aldegheri (Stade Toulousain), Charles Ollivon (RC Toulon), Mickaël Guillard (Lyon OU Rugby), François Cros (Stade Toulousain), Oscar Jégou (Stade Rochelais), Anthony Jelonch (Stade Toulousain).

Replacements: Peato Mauvaka (Stade Toulousain), Rodrigue Neti (Stade Toulousain), Régis Montagne (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Hugo Auradou (Section Paloise), Emmanuel Meafou (Stade Toulousain), Lenni Nouchi (Montpellier HR), Baptiste Serin (RC Toulon), Kalvin Gourgues (Stade Toulousain).

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner, Jordan Way (both RA)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
FPRO: Richard Kelly (NZR)

Pre-Match Quotes:

Caelan Doris (Ireland) –

I’m massively excited about the game. We had a really good week in Portugal. Prepped well. There’s good appetite, even coming out here today, there’s good excitement being in the stadium and seeing it and knowing what it’s going to be like tomorrow.

“I think we’ve trained well, and I think we’re in a good spot. The internal view and perception is that there’s still a lot of belief at the core, and that’s grown over the last 10 days.

“I think we’ve created evidence for more confidence and more belief based on how we’ve shown up on the field, but also connections built off it and the work that’s been done off it as well.

“There is a pretty positive feeling based on how we’ve trained and how lads have showed up and integrated.”

Antoine Dupont (France) –

When you play Ireland, it’s always a tough game, especially during the Six Nations. We expect them to be at their best level.

“We know we will have to play our best rugby if we want to win on Thursday night and start this competition in a good way. Physically, I feel very well (after recovering from the ACL injury).

“As I said from the beginning of my comeback, I found very good sensations so I am happy to have been able to have several games (with Toulouse) before the opening of the Six Nations.

“In the past we had to play several Tests without big names, and our young players are playing very well in the Top 14, so it’s very well for them to be on the team.”

Pre-Match Interviews & Links –

Farrell Has Full Confidence In Fit-Again Osborne As Ireland’s Last Line Of Defence

Doris: It’s A New Year, A New Group, But Another Big Challenge

‘Jez Just Needs To Be Himself’ – Farrell

Sheehan Wishes Atonio ‘All The Best’ After France Prop’s Enforced Retirement

Opta Facts – Guinness Men’s Six Nations: France v Ireland

IRFU And FFR Unveil New Trophy For Ireland And France Six Nations Matches

Recent Meetings –

2023: Guinness Men’s Six Nations: Ireland 32 France 19, Aviva Stadium

2024: Guinness Men’s Six Nations: France 17 Ireland 38, Orange Vélodrome, Marseille

2025: Guinness Men’s Six Nations: Ireland 27 France 42, Aviva Stadium

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