Jonathan Sexton, Jamie Heaslip, Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy all return as Ireland aim for their seventh Aviva Stadium win in-a-row, entertaining France in an eagerly-awaited St. Valentine’s Day duel.
2015 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 14
IRELAND (1st) v FRANCE (2nd), Aviva Stadium, 5pm (live RTÉ Two/BBC One/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Jamie Heaslip and Jonathan Sexton are the two changes to the Ireland team named for last weekend’s 26-3 win over Italy in Rome.
Paul O’Connell captains his country for the 20th time and is partnered in the second row by Devin Toner. The front-row is made up of Jack McGrath, Mike Ross and hooker Rory Best who will be making his 80th Ireland appearance.
The returning Heaslip, who is set for his 70th Irish cap, joins Peter O’Mahony in the back row alongside Sean O’Brien who has recovered from the hamstring injury that saw him miss the Italy game.
Conor Murray and Sexton are reunited at half-back, while Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne continue their centre partnership and the back-three is also unchanged with full-back Rob Kearney flanked by Tommy Bowe and Simon Zebo.
The fit-again Cian Healy, who has not played for Ireland since last March’s win over France in Paris, features in the replacements alongside Sean Cronin, Martin Moore, Iain Henderson, Jordi Murphy, Isaac Boss, Ian Madigan and Felix Jones.
Ireland’s Championship clash with France will be followed at the Aviva Stadium by the Ulster Bank Club International between the Ireland Club team and their French counterparts. The latter game kicks off at 8pm and tickets are available from ticketmaster.ie.
Meanwhile, Eddy Ben Arous’ inclusion at loosehead prop is the only change to the France side that beat Scotland 15-8 in the opening round.
Ben Arous saw second half action against the Scots as a replacement for the injured Alexandre Menini, and the latter’s foot injury means Ben Arous will start against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
It will be the 24-year-old’s third cap and first start for France, and the 25-times capped Vincent Debaty will back him up on the bench.
French head coach Philippe Saint-André has kept faith with the rest of the starting line-up, retaining Six Nations newcomers Scott Spedding, Teddy Thomas, Camille Lopez and Rory Kockott in the back-line.
That quartet, along with forwards Ben Arous and Bernard le Roux, have not faced Ireland before at Test level.
Indeed, there are wholesale changes (ten in all) to the side that started against Ireland in Paris last March – Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Pascal Papé, Yoann Maestri and Damien Chouly are the only survivors.
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro 92), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) (capt), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Martin Moore (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster), Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster).
FRANCE: Scott Spedding (Bayonne); Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne), Teddy Thomas (Racing Metro 92); Camille Lopez (Clermont Auvergne), Rory Kockott (Castres Olympique); Eddy Ben Arous (Racing Metro 92), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Pascal Papé (Stade Francais), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse) (capt), Bernard le Roux (Racing Metro 92), Damien Chouly (Clermont Auvergne).
Replacements: Benjamin Kayser (Clermont Auvergne), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Vincent Debaty (Clermont Auvergne), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon), Loann Goujon (La Rochelle), Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne), Rémi Tales (Castres Olympique), Rémi Lamerat (Castres Olympique).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 4/11; Draw:20/1; France to win: 9/4
Pre-Match Quotes: Joe Schmidt (Ireland) – “We’re very much focused on this week and, if we can get a result, we stay in the hunt (for the title), and if we don’t then I think it would be very hard to be at the top of the tree in six weeks’ time.
“It’s a long time since Sean has played with us. It is a long time since Johnny has played, full stop. It’s Jamie’s first game in the Championship. It’s not perfect and our performance no doubt will reflect that to a degree.
“I think it builds a little bit of confidence (having them back in the side). Having those people around, they know that those players have been in some tough, tight moments before. They have been in some very successful moments as well. therefore their decision making, their leadership does add a bit of confidence. Hopefully it adds a bit of organisation as well.
“He (Cian Healy) is jumping out of his skin. He was pushing last week. He was saying he was ready to go. He is very keen to get involved and obviously he adds a bit of a dimension for the bench.”
Philippe Saint-André (France) – “It will be very intense. We need to be cleaner in our handling, more precise and more efficient. Ireland are a very good team. They are very disciplined and don’t tend to give away too many penalties. They are also very confident. They have won eight games in a row.
“We want some consistency. We know Ireland in Dublin will be difficult. They are third or fourth best in the world, they are the champions, the favourites.
“In my day, unless someone broke a leg the 15 who started would finish the match. Modern rugby cannot just focus on the starters but on the 23. We need players coming off the bench who can bring something extra.”
Pre-Match Links –
O’Connell: It’s Great To Have Johnny Back
IRFU Statement On Jonathan Sexton
Head-To-Head: Ireland v France
Moore Primed For Scrum Showdown With Les Bleus
Murray Hoping To ‘Kick On’ Against France
Recent Meetings –
2012: RBS 6 Nations: France 17 Ireland 17, Stade de France
2013: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 13 France 13, Aviva Stadium
2014: RBS 6 Nations: France 20 Ireland 22, Stade de France
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #ShouldertoShoulder or #IRLvFRA on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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