Categories: Ireland Six Nations

Guinness Men’s Six Nations: France v Ireland

Full-back Hugo Keenan sprints clear to score Ireland's opening try against France at the Aviva Stadium last February ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

Newly-appointed captain Peter O’Mahony leads a team containing three players making their first Guinness Six Nations starts, as Ireland begin their title defence against familiar rivals France in Marseille.

2024 GUINNESS MEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:

Friday, February 2 –

FRANCE v IRELAND, Stade Vélodrome, 9pm local time/8pm Irish time (live Virgin Media One/ITV 1/France 2/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/BBC Sounds/BBC Radio 5 Live/IRFU Live Blog)

Team News: For the start of the 2024 Championship, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has made four changes to the team that bowed out of the Rugby World Cup to New Zealand in mid-October.

Following Jonathan Sexton’s retirement, O’Mahony steps up as captain and his Munster colleague, Jack Crowley, will wear the number 10 jersey on his first Six Nations start. He was briefly involved as a replacement against Italy last February.

Garry Ringrose’s shoulder injury sees Robbie Henshaw return in midfield to partner Bundee Aki, the recent winner of the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s 15s Player of the Year award.

With Mack Hansen and Jimmy O’Brien both ruled out of the tournament through injury, Calvin Nash’s strong provincial form is rewarded with a Six Nations debut on the right wing.

Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe, and Hugo Keenan complete the back-line, and the only alteration to the World Cup quarter-final pack sees Leinster’s powerful 22-year-old lock Joe McCarthy packing down alongside Tadhg Beirne for his first Six Nations appearance.

Captaining his country for the 11th time, O’Mahony joins Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris in an experienced back row combination. Andrew Porter, a try scorer during last year’s 32-19 home win over France, wins his 60th cap in the front row, alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong.

Farrell has opted for a six-two split on the replacements bench with Ronan Kelleher, the fit-again Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, and Jack Conan providing the forward reinforcements.

Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley, who is also poised for his Six Nations debut, are the back-line options. Ireland are chasing their first victory over France on French soil since Sexton’s dramatic late drop goal decided the 2018 clash in Paris.

Speaking ahead of the game, Farrell said: “It’s mouth-watering, isn’t it? It will be a great game to watch, I’m sure, there’s no doubt about that. The stadium, the atmosphere, it being the first game of the Six Nations after a World Cup.

“If you can’t get excited about that as I keep saying, you’re in the wrong place. For us, it’s just living up to our own expectations, we expect to perform on the big stage and it doesn’t really get any bigger than this one.

“We all know it’s going to be a war of attrition, set-piece is premium in any game that you play against France. They’re big men, the size of their pack, and they’re very accurate as far as the set-piece is concerned.

“But not just that, with where we’re playing, the conditions, and the type of game that France can also play in the broken-field, we think it’s going to be a fast game as well.

“So, if you look at our bench, the power and pace that we’ve got within that pack to come on and finish the game strong is something that we think will work in our favour this time around.”

Meanwhile, France head coach Fabien Galthié has made five changes to the side that lost by a point to eventual champions South Africa at the World Cup’s quarter-final stage.

Bordeaux-Bègles pair Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu will start together at half-back, with the latter replacing Antoine Dupont who has joined the France Sevens set-up as they build towards a home Olympics in the summer.

Bordeaux’s Yoram Moefana is preferred to his club-mate Louis Bielle-Biarrey on the left wing, and there is a new-look second row partnership between the fit-again Paul Willemse and Stade Francais’ Paul Gabrillagues, who has not played Test rugby since October 2019.

Knee injury victim Anthony Jelonch’s place at blindside flanker is taken by François Cros. Les Bleus have two potential debutants on the bench in Racing 92 scrum half Nolann Le Garrec, and Perpignan’s teenage star Posolo Tuilagi, who was a late call-up for an ill Romain Taofifenua.

“We feel like we have gone for the right balance,” commented Galthié. “This is a game we have been preparing for for two months with the coaching staff.

“We are up against the second best team in the world, who have won 17 of their last 18 matches. That obstacle is part of the journey and we are aware of the context. That is why we are here, we are a solid team.”

FRANCE: Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain); Damian Penaud (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Gaël Fickou (Racing 92), Jonathan Danty (Stade Rochelais), Yoram Moefana (Union Bordeaux-Bègles); Matthieu Jalibert (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Maxime Lucu (Union Bordeaux-Bègles); Cyril Baille (Stade Toulousain), Peato Mauvaka (Stade Toulousain), Uini Atonio (Stade Rochelais), Paul Gabrillagues (Stade Français Paris), Paul Willemse (Montpellier HR), Francois Cros (Stade Toulousain), Charles Ollivon (RC Toulon), Grégory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais) (capt).

Replacements: Julien Marchand (Stade Toulousain), Reda Wardi (Stade Rochelais), Dorian Aldegheri (Stade Toulousain), Posolo Tuilagi (USA Perpignan), Cameron Woki (Racing 92), Paul Boudehent (Stade Rochelais), Nolann Le Garrec (Racing 92), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Union Bordeaux-Bègles).

IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), James Lowe (Leinster); Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).

Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster).

Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England), Jordan Way (Australia)
Television Match Official: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

Pre-Match Quotes: Peter O’Mahony (Ireland) –

It’s very exciting. Every opportunity you get to play for Ireland is huge, but this one seems particularly special. Not just for me under my circumstances, but for the group and lots of guys in the group.

“Big games, big opportunities, a big opportunity for everyone of us to continue our journey on. What a place to do it, what a stadium, just coming in there from the Captain’s Run.

“I haven’t been here in a long time, and unfortunately not great memories, but what a place to play rugby. Performance is absolutely paramount. It’s what everyone is here to do, be the best version of themselves, and that’s what we’re going to try and do on Friday night.

“It’s the first one up for us, it’s the first one up for France. In this competition, every game is colossal and that’s an understatement.

“Make of it what you want, but both of us are out there to win the game and set us up for a bit of momentum for the rest of the campaign. It’s a huge occasion for both of us.”

Grégory Alldritt (France) –

There is a lot of pride (to be captain), a lot of honour. Up to now it has been very easy, we have a wonderful group. We have largely been together for the past four years, we feed off each other automatically.

I have only one desire – for it already to be tomorrow (Friday) already. For the moment I feel the same pressure as I do before every Six Nations, every Test.

“We don’t put negative pressure on ourselves, we have confidence in our strategy but we will have to be extremely accurate and up our intensity against Ireland. We’ve worked well and I believe we are ready to produce a huge performance.”

Pre-Match Links –

Head-To-Head: Ireland v France

Farrell: We’ve Got To Relish These Occasions And Go After Them

In Pics: Captain’s Run In Marseille

O’Mahony: Bring That Bit Of Specialness You’ve Been Picked For

Farrell Hands ‘Big Opportunity’ To Six Nations Newcomers

Gibson-Park: It’s The Perfect Start To See Where We’re At

‘There’s Loads To Go For The Group’ – Henshaw

Opta Facts: Ireland v France

Recent Meetings –

2021: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 13 France 15, Aviva Stadium

2022: Guinness Six Nations: France 30 Ireland 24, Stade de France