IRELAND’S MENTALITY TONIGHT will be one of hunters.
They were previously the hunted when they were Six Nations winners in 2023 and 2024, but now they’re trying to take down the reigning champions on their noisy, boisterous home patch of Stade de France [KO 8.10pm Irish time, Virgin]
While the gloomier predictions suggest that Ireland need to cling on and do their best to survive the French onslaught tonight, their own approach is to go on the attack. They want to thrive rather than survive.
Key men like Hugo Keenan, Tadhg Furlong, Andrew Porter, and Ryan Baird are missing, but that means opportunities for fresher faces. So it is that starting blindside flanker Cian Prendergast and replacements Michael Milne and Nick Timoney, as well as right wing Tommy O’Brien, will make their Six Nations debuts. Left wing Jacob Stockdale gets his first championship appearance since 2021, and there are others relaunching their Six Nations careers after briefer hiatuses.
What a place to do it. Stade de France in Paris is right up there for the best atmosphere in the world on nights like the one ahead. So Ireland will need to be clear, calm, and collected.
“It’s pretty much the pinnacle of the game, really,” said Ireland captain Caelan Doris of playing in Paris.
“We’ve had some fond memories here in the past through the World Cup and some not-so-good ones as well. But what’s been consistent throughout has been an unbelievable atmosphere.
“We want to enjoy that really, not let it affect us, but also enjoy it. It’s going to be a special spectacle, and we’re hoping to put our best foot forward.”
Ireland know the scale of the challenge ahead of them. There are many areas to nail.
The set-piece has to be effective, with Jeremy Loughman and Thomas Clarkson asked to step up as the starting props. The French lineout and maul are superb, so forwards coach Paul O’Connell will task the likes of Cian Prendergast with challenging there.
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Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
With the great Antoine Dupont back at number nine, the threat around the ruck will be relentless for the Irish defence, while they also have to worry about the power and offloading ability of the French forwards, as well as the sheer speed of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and co. out wide.
There has been much talk in France of whether Dupont and Bordeaux’s hotly in-form Matthieu Jalibert will blend well in the halfbacks, but they’ve played together before and are both sensational attackers.
“Matthieu is trusted by everyone, by his team-mates, the coaching staff, and even you, because journalists have been writing or saying he had to be the starter for the Six Nations, given the season he is having with Bordeaux,” said Dupont.
“All the lights are green for him. We know the quality of player he is capable of being, and we hope he will bring all that tomorrow along the same lines that he has been performing since the beginning of this season.”
The French halfbacks aren’t all about ‘Jouez, jouez!’ though. They are diligent with their tactical kicking, which will also be aided by the experienced fullback Thomas Ramos. France are happy to kick to pressure and boss territory.
With the possibility of rain in Paris tonight, that kicking game could be even more important than usual. On the other side, out-half Sam Prendergast will be key to the Irish effort, as well as the two powerful left footers in the back three, Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale.
The classic contest side of this game – scrum, lineout, maul, kicking – should be riveting, but Ireland want to have some lethal attack of their own.
22-year-old Prendergast, starting alongside his older brother for the first time, will be important with his passing range, while scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park will need to provide creativity and vision too.
It will be intriguing to see how influential inside centre Stuart McCloskey can be, with his distribution, ball-carrying, and offloading sure to be called on by Ireland as he partners Garry Ringrose in midfield.
Orla O’Sullivan and Tonia O’Dwyer in Paris. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“He’s brilliant with the ball in hand for such a big man with the ball-carrying capabilities that he has,” said Ringrose.
“He’s an unbelievably good footballer at the line. He’s a good footballer through contact as well. I’ve got to try and react to be as connected to the ball as possible because he has the ability to pull things off that I certainly can’t.”
This does feel like a game where Ireland will need something spectacular to overcome the odds.
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There can be no mistake, France are the firm favourites and Ireland’s injury woes may make this too steep a mountain to climb.
But the other possibility – that the fresh faces show they have what it takes and the older heads get back to previous peaks – is what makes sport so exciting and engaging.
It’s not that long since Ireland couldn’t even dream about winning in Paris, but Farrell’s men are certainly doing that now.
They’re not talking about fearing the French, rather taking their chance.
“It’s more framed in the opportunity, what we can go and do, excitement about the group that we have, excitement about how we’ve trained,” said Doris.
“And excitement about kind of inspiring our nation and getting them fully back through a good performance, so it’s more framed in a positive opportunity, definitely.”
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Théo Attissogbe, Nicolas Depoortère, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont (captain); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri; Charles Ollivon, Mickaël Guillard; François Cros, Oscar Jégou, Anthony Jelonch.
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Farrell's Ireland go on the hunt for a big upset at Stade de France
IRELAND’S MENTALITY TONIGHT will be one of hunters.
They were previously the hunted when they were Six Nations winners in 2023 and 2024, but now they’re trying to take down the reigning champions on their noisy, boisterous home patch of Stade de France [KO 8.10pm Irish time, Virgin]
While the gloomier predictions suggest that Ireland need to cling on and do their best to survive the French onslaught tonight, their own approach is to go on the attack. They want to thrive rather than survive.
Key men like Hugo Keenan, Tadhg Furlong, Andrew Porter, and Ryan Baird are missing, but that means opportunities for fresher faces. So it is that starting blindside flanker Cian Prendergast and replacements Michael Milne and Nick Timoney, as well as right wing Tommy O’Brien, will make their Six Nations debuts. Left wing Jacob Stockdale gets his first championship appearance since 2021, and there are others relaunching their Six Nations careers after briefer hiatuses.
What a place to do it. Stade de France in Paris is right up there for the best atmosphere in the world on nights like the one ahead. So Ireland will need to be clear, calm, and collected.
“It’s pretty much the pinnacle of the game, really,” said Ireland captain Caelan Doris of playing in Paris.
“We’ve had some fond memories here in the past through the World Cup and some not-so-good ones as well. But what’s been consistent throughout has been an unbelievable atmosphere.
“We want to enjoy that really, not let it affect us, but also enjoy it. It’s going to be a special spectacle, and we’re hoping to put our best foot forward.”
Ireland know the scale of the challenge ahead of them. There are many areas to nail.
The set-piece has to be effective, with Jeremy Loughman and Thomas Clarkson asked to step up as the starting props. The French lineout and maul are superb, so forwards coach Paul O’Connell will task the likes of Cian Prendergast with challenging there.
With the great Antoine Dupont back at number nine, the threat around the ruck will be relentless for the Irish defence, while they also have to worry about the power and offloading ability of the French forwards, as well as the sheer speed of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and co. out wide.
There has been much talk in France of whether Dupont and Bordeaux’s hotly in-form Matthieu Jalibert will blend well in the halfbacks, but they’ve played together before and are both sensational attackers.
“Matthieu is trusted by everyone, by his team-mates, the coaching staff, and even you, because journalists have been writing or saying he had to be the starter for the Six Nations, given the season he is having with Bordeaux,” said Dupont.
“All the lights are green for him. We know the quality of player he is capable of being, and we hope he will bring all that tomorrow along the same lines that he has been performing since the beginning of this season.”
The French halfbacks aren’t all about ‘Jouez, jouez!’ though. They are diligent with their tactical kicking, which will also be aided by the experienced fullback Thomas Ramos. France are happy to kick to pressure and boss territory.
With the possibility of rain in Paris tonight, that kicking game could be even more important than usual. On the other side, out-half Sam Prendergast will be key to the Irish effort, as well as the two powerful left footers in the back three, Jamie Osborne and Jacob Stockdale.
The classic contest side of this game – scrum, lineout, maul, kicking – should be riveting, but Ireland want to have some lethal attack of their own.
22-year-old Prendergast, starting alongside his older brother for the first time, will be important with his passing range, while scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park will need to provide creativity and vision too.
It will be intriguing to see how influential inside centre Stuart McCloskey can be, with his distribution, ball-carrying, and offloading sure to be called on by Ireland as he partners Garry Ringrose in midfield.
“He’s brilliant with the ball in hand for such a big man with the ball-carrying capabilities that he has,” said Ringrose.
“He’s an unbelievably good footballer at the line. He’s a good footballer through contact as well. I’ve got to try and react to be as connected to the ball as possible because he has the ability to pull things off that I certainly can’t.”
This does feel like a game where Ireland will need something spectacular to overcome the odds.
There can be no mistake, France are the firm favourites and Ireland’s injury woes may make this too steep a mountain to climb.
But the other possibility – that the fresh faces show they have what it takes and the older heads get back to previous peaks – is what makes sport so exciting and engaging.
It’s not that long since Ireland couldn’t even dream about winning in Paris, but Farrell’s men are certainly doing that now.
They’re not talking about fearing the French, rather taking their chance.
“It’s more framed in the opportunity, what we can go and do, excitement about the group that we have, excitement about how we’ve trained,” said Doris.
“And excitement about kind of inspiring our nation and getting them fully back through a good performance, so it’s more framed in a positive opportunity, definitely.”
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Théo Attissogbe, Nicolas Depoortère, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Dupont (captain); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri; Charles Ollivon, Mickaël Guillard; François Cros, Oscar Jégou, Anthony Jelonch.
Replacements:Peato Mauvaka, Rodrigue Neti, Régis Montagne, Hugo Auradou, Emmanuel Meafou, Lenni Nouchi, Baptiste Serin, Kalvin Gourgues.
IRELAND: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain).
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley.
Referee: Karl Dickson [RFU].
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