DAN SHEEHAN HAS been ruled out of the Ireland side that will take on defending Six Nations champions France this weekend.
Sheehan, who impressed in Ireland’s opening bonus-point victory over Wales, is out with a hamstring injury and has been replaced by Rob Herring in the front row, with Ronan Kelleher named on the bench.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has elected to go with an otherwise unchanged side for Saturday’s meeting at the Aviva Stadium.
Conor Murray emerged as a doubt this week but has been included to start again at scrum-half while Hugo Keenan slots in at full-back. Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey will link up in the centre once more while Herring is joined by Andrew Porter and Finlay Bealham in the front row.
Porter and James Ryan are both set to earn their 50th caps for Ireland, along with Dave Kilcoyne who is named on the Ireland bench for Saturday.
Ireland XV v France
- 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 26 caps
- 14. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Corinthians) 10 caps
- 13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 48 caps
- 12. Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 10 caps
- 11. James Lowe (Leinster) 16 caps
- 10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 110 caps (c)
- 9. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 101 caps
- 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
- 2. Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 32 caps
- 3. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 28 caps
- 4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 37 caps
- 5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 49 caps
- 6. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 90 caps
- 7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 46 caps
- 8. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 24 caps
Replacements:
- 16. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 18 caps
- 17. Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 49 caps
- 18. Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 5 caps
- 19. Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 69 caps
- 20. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 34 caps
- 21. Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 8 caps
- 22. Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 15 caps
- 23. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 42 caps
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