SO IT’S FAREWELL to Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray.
And congratulations to 50-cappers Caelan Doris, Finlay Bealham, and Jack Conan.
There’s welcome for a manically-motivated French team who have lost their last two meetings with Ireland. Indeed, there have been try-scoring bonus points for the Irish in both of those meetings. Last year in Marseille was a major low point for les Bleus.
Plus there’s the small matter of the Six Nations title being on the line, as well as the Grand Slam that Ireland are still chasing.
Throw in a 7/1 bench, calls for fair refereeing, the French focus on Sam Prendergast’s defence, and even Thierry Henry popping up. This has not been a quiet build-up but the real fireworks will go off this afternoon from 2.15pm [RTÉ/ITV] at the Aviva Stadium.
For all the subplots and talking points, none of the protagonists – least of all the retiring legends – will have been thinking about much else other than delivering the win that will leave them poised to lift silverware next weekend.
Hosting rights are an obvious comfort for Ireland today. They’re on a 10-game winning streak in Dublin in the Six Nations, their longest ever in the championship. Much has been made of the Aviva atmosphere in recent seasons but it was rocking for the England game last month. Simon Easterby says it’s up to his team to give Irish fans reason to roar.
Both sides have cutting edge in attack, with much of France’s best attack revolving around Antoine Dupont. Yet the likes of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Damian Penaud, and Thibaud Flament are true game-breakers too.
Ireland’s most lethal moments in this Six Nations have come through their clever, precise set-piece attack, with the instinctive individual brilliance of Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe also to the fore.
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But the likelihood is that this one will be decided by the less glamorous stuff. Every battle in the scrum, maul, breakdown, tackle, and kicking exchange will be fiercely contested.
France lock Thibaud Flament in Dublin yesterday. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Aussie referee Angus Gardner will undoubtedly have his hands full. France boss Galthié added to the pressure by saying he wants fair decisions, citing James Lowe’s contentious try here in 2023. He didn’t bring up Uini Atonio escaping a red card the same day.
And this in the same week that the French welcomed Henry into camp for a chat. Don’t speak to Irish supporters about unfair refereeing, Fabien.
Gardner will have got plenty of scrum clips from both teams this week, Ireland showing how they want clean entries and no collapses, France presumably highlighting the Irish collapses against Wales as proof Ireland can’t take the heat.
The lineout will be pivotal too, with Ireland having done a brilliant job at limiting opposition launches from that set-piece so far in this Six Nations. They might not be winning as many clean steals as before, but Paul O’Connell’s pack regularly make the opposition wins scrappy or even useless to play off, as well as killing mauls. France’s lineout is running at 97% success so far so O’Mahony and co. will be going after it.
Ireland’s back three of Jamie Osborne, Hugo Keenan, and Lowe looks primed for what should be an intense kick battle, with Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast as important to that area as ever.
France’s kicking is led by Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Thomas Ramos but the wing duo of Penaud and Bielle-Biarrey also contribute to some of the clever, accurate attacking kicking.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey has been in cracking attacking form. Manuel Blondeau / INPHO
Manuel Blondeau / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland will surely look to get Osborne or Keenan up against Bielle-Biarrey in the air at some stage, but the diminutive Bordeaux man will certainly be looking to show Irish defenders up with his stunning speed and stepping.
France’s starting XV was well flagged from early in the week, as was their bench but the latter still caused shockwaves when it was confirmed on Thursday.
The major risk with this 7/1 is that just a single backline injury would potentially mean moving the best player in the world, Dupont, from his best position.
This is all the more risky when you consider that France’s game has essentially been built to help magnify Dupont’s strengths as a scrum-half. One early injury could see them having to rip all of that up.
While Dupont – who had the number 13 on his bib at yesterday’s captain’s run – is still a class act at out-half and has even played in the midfield this season, it seems like an almighty risk.
The 7/1 will be hailed as a masterstroke if the almost entirely new French pack deliver in the second half, of course. The back-up front row of Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, and Dorian Aldegheri looks like a possible point of difference, while the return of Emmanuel Meafou from his lung infection is a boost even if he surely cannot be close to full fitness.
Anthony Jelonch offers physicality and skill but hasn’t been able to make an impact at Test level for some time due to injuries, while La Rochelle back row Oscar Jégou is in the infancy of his international career and the similarly inexperienced lock Hugo Auradou had a poor outing off the bench against England.
Still, Ireland are going to need a serious punch from their own 6/2 bench. In that regard, the impact of James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, and Jack Crowley is well-known and gives Ireland great confidence.
Sam Prendergast kicking during Ireland's captain's run. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
With Rónan Kelleher out injured, Ireland turn to the experience and set-piece nous of Rob Herring as their back-up hooker, while 25-year-old tighthead Thomas Clarkson will have a big role after Tadhg Furlong was also ruled out. Ireland have kept the faith with Healy despite a few defensive errors in his two short cameos in this championship.
It could be that starting props Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham go deep into the game – Porter usually does anyway – but the Irish bench often tends to do a good job even when regular frontliners are missing.
The focus on these two benches this week has been understandable because this game feels so difficult to predict.
Many people are calling it on a one-point margin either way and that’s hard to argue with.
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Whatever way it falls, here’s hoping for another epic.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain)
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley.
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Thibaud Flament, Mickaël Guillard; François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Alldritt.
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Emmanuel Meafou, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jégou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lucu.
Referee: Angus Gardner [Australia] Assistant referees: Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley TMO: Ian Tempest FPRO: Andrew Jackson.
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Farewells, 50ths, fired-up French, and a fight for the Six Nations title
SO IT’S FAREWELL to Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray.
And congratulations to 50-cappers Caelan Doris, Finlay Bealham, and Jack Conan.
There’s welcome for a manically-motivated French team who have lost their last two meetings with Ireland. Indeed, there have been try-scoring bonus points for the Irish in both of those meetings. Last year in Marseille was a major low point for les Bleus.
Plus there’s the small matter of the Six Nations title being on the line, as well as the Grand Slam that Ireland are still chasing.
Throw in a 7/1 bench, calls for fair refereeing, the French focus on Sam Prendergast’s defence, and even Thierry Henry popping up. This has not been a quiet build-up but the real fireworks will go off this afternoon from 2.15pm [RTÉ/ITV] at the Aviva Stadium.
For all the subplots and talking points, none of the protagonists – least of all the retiring legends – will have been thinking about much else other than delivering the win that will leave them poised to lift silverware next weekend.
Hosting rights are an obvious comfort for Ireland today. They’re on a 10-game winning streak in Dublin in the Six Nations, their longest ever in the championship. Much has been made of the Aviva atmosphere in recent seasons but it was rocking for the England game last month. Simon Easterby says it’s up to his team to give Irish fans reason to roar.
Both sides have cutting edge in attack, with much of France’s best attack revolving around Antoine Dupont. Yet the likes of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Damian Penaud, and Thibaud Flament are true game-breakers too.
Ireland’s most lethal moments in this Six Nations have come through their clever, precise set-piece attack, with the instinctive individual brilliance of Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe also to the fore.
But the likelihood is that this one will be decided by the less glamorous stuff. Every battle in the scrum, maul, breakdown, tackle, and kicking exchange will be fiercely contested.
Aussie referee Angus Gardner will undoubtedly have his hands full. France boss Galthié added to the pressure by saying he wants fair decisions, citing James Lowe’s contentious try here in 2023. He didn’t bring up Uini Atonio escaping a red card the same day.
And this in the same week that the French welcomed Henry into camp for a chat. Don’t speak to Irish supporters about unfair refereeing, Fabien.
Gardner will have got plenty of scrum clips from both teams this week, Ireland showing how they want clean entries and no collapses, France presumably highlighting the Irish collapses against Wales as proof Ireland can’t take the heat.
The lineout will be pivotal too, with Ireland having done a brilliant job at limiting opposition launches from that set-piece so far in this Six Nations. They might not be winning as many clean steals as before, but Paul O’Connell’s pack regularly make the opposition wins scrappy or even useless to play off, as well as killing mauls. France’s lineout is running at 97% success so far so O’Mahony and co. will be going after it.
Ireland’s back three of Jamie Osborne, Hugo Keenan, and Lowe looks primed for what should be an intense kick battle, with Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast as important to that area as ever.
France’s kicking is led by Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Thomas Ramos but the wing duo of Penaud and Bielle-Biarrey also contribute to some of the clever, accurate attacking kicking.
Ireland will surely look to get Osborne or Keenan up against Bielle-Biarrey in the air at some stage, but the diminutive Bordeaux man will certainly be looking to show Irish defenders up with his stunning speed and stepping.
France’s starting XV was well flagged from early in the week, as was their bench but the latter still caused shockwaves when it was confirmed on Thursday.
The major risk with this 7/1 is that just a single backline injury would potentially mean moving the best player in the world, Dupont, from his best position.
This is all the more risky when you consider that France’s game has essentially been built to help magnify Dupont’s strengths as a scrum-half. One early injury could see them having to rip all of that up.
While Dupont – who had the number 13 on his bib at yesterday’s captain’s run – is still a class act at out-half and has even played in the midfield this season, it seems like an almighty risk.
The 7/1 will be hailed as a masterstroke if the almost entirely new French pack deliver in the second half, of course. The back-up front row of Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, and Dorian Aldegheri looks like a possible point of difference, while the return of Emmanuel Meafou from his lung infection is a boost even if he surely cannot be close to full fitness.
Anthony Jelonch offers physicality and skill but hasn’t been able to make an impact at Test level for some time due to injuries, while La Rochelle back row Oscar Jégou is in the infancy of his international career and the similarly inexperienced lock Hugo Auradou had a poor outing off the bench against England.
Still, Ireland are going to need a serious punch from their own 6/2 bench. In that regard, the impact of James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, and Jack Crowley is well-known and gives Ireland great confidence.
With Rónan Kelleher out injured, Ireland turn to the experience and set-piece nous of Rob Herring as their back-up hooker, while 25-year-old tighthead Thomas Clarkson will have a big role after Tadhg Furlong was also ruled out. Ireland have kept the faith with Healy despite a few defensive errors in his two short cameos in this championship.
It could be that starting props Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham go deep into the game – Porter usually does anyway – but the Irish bench often tends to do a good job even when regular frontliners are missing.
The focus on these two benches this week has been understandable because this game feels so difficult to predict.
Many people are calling it on a one-point margin either way and that’s hard to argue with.
Whatever way it falls, here’s hoping for another epic.
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain)
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley.
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Thibaud Flament, Mickaël Guillard; François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Alldritt.
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Emmanuel Meafou, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jégou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lucu.
Referee: Angus Gardner [Australia]
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley and Christophe Ridley
TMO: Ian Tempest
FPRO: Andrew Jackson.
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