Rory Best, Jonathan Sexton and Jack McGrath all return to the Ireland team for the visit of France as Joe Schmidt’s men look to enhance their Six Nations title credentials at a sold-out Aviva Stadium.
2017 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 25
IRELAND (2nd) v FRANCE (4th), Aviva Stadium, 4.50pm (live RTÉ Two/UTV/ITV/DMAX/FR2/RTÉ Radio 1/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Rory Best returns to captain the team after being sidelined in Rome through illness, while Jonathan Sexton has overcome a calf injury to start at out-half for his first appearance of the 2017 tournament.
Jack McGrath get the nod at loosehead prop in the third and final change, with the trio’s inclusion seeing Niall Scannell, Paddy Jackson and Cian Healy drop back to the bench.
The replacements are bolstered by Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony and Andrew Trimble who come into the matchday 23 after shaking off their respective injuries – hamstring, hamstring and groin.
Full-back Rob Kearney will win his 75th cap – only the 12th Irish player to hit such a landmark – and he will again have Keith Earls, the tournament’s joint top try scorer (3 tries), and Simon Zebo for company in the back-three.
Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw, the two youngest members of the squad at 22 and 23, continue their centre partnership and Sexton and Conor Murray are reunited at half-back for the first time since last November’s home clash with New Zealand.
The Best-led front row is supported by an unchanged second row of Donnacha Ryan and Devin Toner who are both set for cap number 45 this weekend. CJ Stander, who also has three Championship tries like Earls, Sean O’Brien and vice-captain Jamie Heaslip will line out for their third successive Six Nations outing together in the back row.
Commenting on some of the selection calls, head coach Joe Schmidt added: “Johnny has done a lot of conditioning. Fitness is never really an issue for Johnny. He trained well today (Thursday), he trained well on Tuesday. He’s highly motivated to get into the game on Saturday.
“We know it’s going to be physical. Two years ago Johnny came back in against the French and played really well. He got some physical contact that day and hadn’t played for 12 weeks before it. And that’s part of what you base your decision-making on – what have they done in the past and can they replicate in the future. We’re confident Johnny can and Johnny is confident too.
“Paddy took it with a smile and said, ‘I’ll be ready when you need me off the bench’. Based on how things have gone in the past, we’ll probably see both players in some positions at some stage in the game.
“It’s a little bit horses for courses (with Jack and Cian). Keeping them both competitive and sharing the time. It’s a luxury for us to have two guys who you can mix and match like that (at loosehead).”
Meanwhile, France head coach Guy Noves has made three personnel changes – two of them enforced through injury – as they look to build on their round 2 victory over Scotland.
Loann Goujon fractured a bone in his sinuses against the Scots in Paris, so Racing 92’s Bernard Le Roux comes in at blindside flanker. Yoann Huget from Toulouse is selected on the right wing, coming in for the injured Virimi Vakatawa (thigh).
Uini Atonio makes way at tighthead prop for Stade Francais’ Rabah Slimani who has impressed off the bench against both England and Scotland, scoring a try in the 19-16 defeat at Twickenham.
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster), Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster).
Replacements: Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster).
FRANCE: Scott Spedding (Clermont Auvergne); Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Remi Lamerat (Clermont Auvergne), Gael Fickou (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont Auvergne); Camille Lopez (Clermont Auvergne), Baptiste Serin (Bordeaux-Bègles); Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon) (capt), Rabah Slimani (Stade Francais), Sebastien Vahaamahina (Clermont Auvergne), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing 92), Kevin Gourdon (La Rochelle), Louis Picamoles (Northampton Saints).
Replacements: Christopher Tolofua (Toulouse), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Eddy Ben Arous (Racing 92), Julien Le Devedec (Brive), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92), Henry Chavancy (Racing 92), Djibril Camara (Stade Francais).
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes, Luke Pearce (both England)
Television Match Official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 3/10; Draw: 25/1; France to win: 10/3
Pre-Match Quotes: Joe Schmidt (Ireland) – “It’s great to be home. The first two (Six Nations games) were on the road so we’re really looking forward to getting back to the Aviva.
“I know the supporters are looking forward to it as well, there’s a lot looking for tickets and it’s going to be a raucous environment. So we trained this week with signals instead of calls because we believe the noise is going to be such that we won’t be able to hear. And that’s what we want – that kind of support lifts a team.
“Certainly the back row and I think the front row will both be crucial areas. I do think with France starting (Rabah) Slimani it probably suggests they are going to go after a really explosive scrum first up and with (Guilhem) Guirado there and (Cyril) Baille, who has been really impressive, it also gives that option of that real power impact with the size and strength of Uini Atonio and (Christopher) Tolofua, and the experience of (Eddy) Ben Arous and the know-how he has.
“So I think the front row is going to be a real battle and I think the back row is going to be a real battle as well, (Charles) Ollivon coming off the bench – I think he’s about 6ft 6in. He’s a big, big man. So they’re going to bring some very big humans off the bench and that’s going to be a real challenge for us.”
Guy Noves (France) – “I respect what Bernard (Laporte) thinks. This is the most important in this tournament because it is the one we play on Saturday. But it is no more important than the next match.
“The trip to England was the most important at the time and we showed that we can compete at least 70 minutes with the English. Today, with a few more weeks of work, this game is important because we need big matches and those are against the best nations. Ireland, unquestionably, are one of the best nations. They are the only team that beat New Zealand (40-29 in Chicago last November).
“They are a team that may have temporarily fallen asleep against Scotland (where they were beaten 27-22), but who reacted immediately by putting 60 points on Italy.”
Pre-Match Links –
Head-To-Head: Ireland v France
Ireland v France: Facts & Figures
Irish Rugby TV: Garry Ringrose Previews Ireland v France
Inside Pass: The Week Of The French
Irish Rugby TV: Ireland Squad Visit Monaghan RFC
Recent Meetings –
2014: RBS 6 Nations: France 20 Ireland 22, Stade de France
2015: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 18 France 11, Aviva Stadium; Rugby World Cup Pool D: France 9 Ireland 24, Millennium Stadium
2016: RBS 6 Nations: France 10 Ireland 9, Stade de France
Support Ireland on www.irishrugby.ie/facebook or search #TeamOfUs, #ShouldertoShoulder and #IREvFRA on www.twitter.com/irishrugby.
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