AFTER GETTING PAST Italy in Rome last weekend, Ireland host France in what is sure to be a tougher test for Joe Schmidt’s side. Luckily for him, he has a very talented matchday squad with proven internationals to spring from the bench.
Will it be enough to beat the French?
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It is Six Nations Saturday and France are in town. It doesn’t get much better than this.
We’ve already spotted the first rooster hat of the day.
If you are waiting for the match to start you should tune into Off The Ball on Newstalk where The42′s Murray Kinsella is previewing the game with Denis Hickie and Shane Jennings.
Johnny Sexton will play his first rugby game since the autumn series today. Do you think he will be able to last the pace of a test match after so long out?
Here is a reminder of how the two teams will line out today. Ireland have a very strong bench to call on.
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Simon Zebo, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sean O’Brien, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Paul O’Connell (c), 4 Devin Toner, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Jack McGrath
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Felix Jones
France: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 Yoann Huget, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Teddy Thomas, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Damien Chouly, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Pascal Papé, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 1 Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Uini Atonio, 18 Vincent Debaty, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Loann Goujon, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Rémi Talès, 23 Rémi Lamerat.
The last time Ireland hosted France with such expectations was probably in 2007. Hopefully today has a happier ending for the Irish team.
Great commentary by the French, to be fair.
The big pre-match decision: RTE or BBC? A solid choice is RTE for the punditry and BBC for the match commentary.
George Hook – ‘In 1798 if William of Orange had led the Irish and King James had lead the English, Ireland would have won.’
Some potentially big team news for France.
Also, I found this video very funny and also, very French.
Looks like The Toulon Tank is out. Would be a massive blow for France.
‘You are obsessed with size! 23 stone men keep you awake at night’ – George Hook to Tom McGurk.
Bastareaud is touch and go at the moment.
The teams are out and we are about to get the first real treat – the French anthem!
Big Bastareaud is wearing all the strapping. He is going to start but can’t be at 100%.
ROG is really playing to his competition in the fashion battle.
Has Tom McGurk ever allowed another pundit finish a sentence?
Nothing says international rugby like Peter O’Mahony screaming the anthem.
We are off at the Aviva!
Penalty to Ireland after Jack McGrath steals the ball just inside the Irish half. Ireland go quickly but Sexton throws the ball into touch before shipping a big hit. The out-half gets right up though.
Sexton launches a high kick and Rob Kearney nails Lopez once he catches the ball. A lot of kicking in the first few minutes here.
Simon Zebo fumbles the ball backwards but shows great feet to win back the lost yards on the halfway line.
Ireland have a lineout in French territory after Scott Spedding is forced into touch when gathering a probing Sexton kick.
Ireland get lucky as their sloppy lineout ball is poached by Dusautoir but the flanker drops it. Ireland scrum just outside the French 10m line.
France win the penalty and kick to touch on the Irish 22. They get the ball to Bastareaud right away but Sexton, Bowe and Sean O’Brien hold him up and win the scrum.
Good early test of Sexton’s defence and he did well to stop Bastareaud there.
France have a scrum on halfway on the left wing after Ireland knock on in the tackle.
Ireland get the penalty at the scrum and Sexton will kick towards the corner.
Ireland lineout 20m from the French line.
Ireland get a penalty after France try to collapse Ireland’s maul. Sexton will go for the posts.
Ireland 3-0 France
Sexton nails the tricky kick and Ireland take the lead.
Sexton hits a monstrous spiral from the Irish 22 to pin France back in their own half.
Rob Kearney fumbles a high ball backwards and then Eddy Ben Arous gets over him to win the penalty. Lopez will kick for goal in a central area on the Irish 10m line.
Ireland 3-3 France
Lopez converts the straightforward penalty and we are level.
Bowe does excellently to win the kickoff and Ireland are into the French 22. Guilhem Guirado is then penalised for coming in from the side and Sexton will go for goal to the right of the posts on the 22.
Also, Remi Lamerat is on for Fofana as the centre gets checked for a concussion.
Ireland 6-3 France
Sexton puts Ireland in front once again.
Bastareaud is penalised for offside in the Ireland 22 and the home side will have a lineout on the halfway line as a result.
Ireland take the ball into contact with minimal gains in midfield but then Sexton switches it up with an excellent kick that pins France on their 5m line.
Kearney gets a short pop from Tommy Bowe and bounces Guirado onto his backside. Henshaw then makes further inroads into the 22 but Pascal Pape wins a turnover penalty and France clear.
Also, Fofana is back on the field.
Murray’s high, hanging kick is claimed by Spedding but Kearney rockets into him on halfway and Ireland immediately win a penalty after the fullback doesn’t release. Ireland have a lineout on the 22 now.
Sean O’Brien’s first touch sees him bosh Lopez but France force yet another turnover penalty in their own 22, with Eddy Ben Arous getting his second poach.
France try to counter from deep but Lopez throws a bit of a howler and the ball bounces past Thomas into touch just outside the French 22. Another opportunity for Ireland.
Ireland go with a pre-planned move off the maul but Bastareaud rips the ball from Murray at the breakdown and France clear. That is four turnovers France have forced during Irish attacks.
France get their first chance in the Ireland 22 but Yoann Maestri gets pinged for crossing as his pack set a maul ten yards from the line.
Sexton goes to ground on the French 10m line and this time Arous can’t legally force the turnover. Penalty Ireland in a central area and Sexton will go for the posts.
Ireland 9-3 France
Sexton increases Ireland’s lead to six.
Teddy Thomas has been replaced by Remi Lamerat. Thomas actually got injured when he was tackled during a counter-attack when it looked like he might be away. Surprisingly it was Mike Ross who grabbed him just in time.
Rory Best and Sean O’Brien double-team Rory Kockott but the hooker can’t get out of the way and France have a penalty. Lopez will kick from straight in front on the 10m line.
Ireland 9-6 France
Lopez narrows the gap to three.
Sexton hangs the restart so that it drops a foot from the touchline and Bowe bundles Chouly over the sideline. Ireland lineout on the 22.
Guirado goes off his feet in pursuit of a turnover and Ireland will have a penalty straight in front inside the 22. Should be a simple kick for Sexton.
Ireland 12-6 France
Ireland lead by six with a minute left in the half.
Chouly wins the restart and France move into the Ireland 22.
HT Ireland 12-6 France
But France knock on and that’s half time. In truth it has been a fairly dismal game as a spectacle but Ireland are still in control. Joe Schmidt will be furious that France have poached so much possession, especially when Ireland have been in attack but Sexton and Murray’s kicking has been very accurate.
Given how much of a francophile GT is this must be a tough day for him.
The second half is off here!
Tommy Bowe wins another restart for Ireland. That is three today. Great work by the wing because Ireland have scored from two of the turnovers.
Sexton’s first error as he kicks out on the full. France have a lineout on halfway.
Kearney claims a high ball outside the French 22 and Ireland are threatening to score the game’s first try.
Sexton just clashed heads with Bastareaud as Ireland get penalised for a forward pass 5m from the French line. He looks okay but Ian Madigan is on as a blood sub.
Ireland almost won a turnover near the French line but Peter O’Mahony gets penalised for coming in from the side.
Hot take from Hook.
Ireland have a scrum in the French half after Dusautoir knocks on at the lineout.
Ireland win a free kick and Murray goes quickly to Heaslip.
Ireland have a penalty in front of the posts after France go offside. Madigan will go for the posts.
France replace their entire front row as Benjamin Kayser, Uini Atonio and Vincent Debaty take the field.
Ireland 15-6 France
Madigan gets into the swing of things by nailing his first kick.
France having their first bit of sustained possession at the moment. Some good carries as they bring the ball to just outside the Ireland 22.
Remi Lamerat takes the ball into a wall of green jerseys and Peter O’Mahony does excellently to rip it away. Murray then thumps the ball clear and France have a lineout outside the 22.
French sub prop Uini Atonio is a behemoth but he has shown some nice touches for a big man since coming on.
The TMO is looking at a possible knee from Pape into the back of Heaslip. Hard to tell if it is accidental or not on the replay.
The TMO thought it was deliberate anyway and Pape will spend ten minutes in the bin.
Huget makes a lovely break and feeds Lopez but for the second time the out-half throws an errant pass and Ireland pin France back in their own half and eventually win a penalty.
Good news for Ireland as Johnny Sexton is back on.
Ireland maul it to within ten yards of the line and then go wide. Sexton looks for Payne to run a short line but the centre can’t hold the ball and the opportunity is lost.
Mike Ross is penalised at the scrum and France kick to the halfway line.
France have now won penalties at the last two scrums despite having one man less. They now have a lineout inside the Irish 22.
Rory Best has been sent to the bin for coming in from the side. France will go for the posts from outside the 22 to the left of the posts.
Poor kick by Lopez as the ball drifts to the left and wide. It felt like France were getting a bit of momentum so that is a big let-off for Ireland.
Jordi Murphy and Marty Moore are on for Heaslip and Ross.
Healy is on for McGrath too as France rumble into the Irish 22.
France knock on and Peter O’Mahony clears to the ten metre line.
Pape has been replaced by Romain Taofifenua.
Ireland have a scrum in midfield after Huget spills an inside pass from Lopez. It is all France at the moment and their pack are gaining a lot of ground. I’ve already mentioned prop Uini Atonio but he has been really impressive.
Morgan Parra is on for Rory Kockott.
France are penalised for wheeling the scrum and Ireland finally get a chance to escape their own territory.
Damien Chouly goes offside at the lineout and Sexton will have a chance to extend Ireland’s lead. He’ll kick from the ten metre line on the right wing.
Ireland 18-6 France
Lovely kick by Sexton and Ireland lead by 12 with 12 to play.
Lopez kicks well to drive Ireland back towards their own 22.
TRY! Ireland 18-11 France
A clever offload from prop Atonio frees men outside him and a few phases later Lopez picks out Debaty in space who gives the ball to Romain Taofifenua to dive over in the corner.
Rory Best is back on so Ireland are restored to 15 men.
Sean Cronin replaces Rory Best.
Ireland steal the ball but Wayne Barnes awards France a scrum on their own ten metre line with six to go.
This time Ireland get done for wheeling the scrum and France now have a lineout on the Irish ten metre line. Also, Iain Henderson is on for Devin Toner.
Lamerat dribbles a little kick behind the Irish defence and it almost bounces into the hands of Fofana on the left wing. It doesn’t though, and Ireland have a lineout in their own 22.
A great maul from Ireland gains 20 metres but Murray’s box kick is taken back into Irish territory by Remi Tales.
For the second time in a few minutes it looks like Ireland win the turonver but Barnes awards France a scrum, this time halfway between the 22 and Ireland’s 10m line.
Less than two minutes to go and France have the ball outside the Ireland 22.
Once again, Ireland turn the ball over and Barnes gives France a scrum. One minute to go and France have a scrum ten yards outside the 22.
Last play.
FT Ireland 18-11 France
Zebo and Sean O’Brien drive Lamerat into touch and Ireland just about hold on.
Another win for Ireland but they will have a lot to work on ahead of England in two weeks time.
That is all from our liveblog this evening. Thank you for joining me and make sure to check the site in the next few minutes for all the best post-match reaction.
