Click here for profiles of Ireland’s forwards for tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations tussle with Bernard Laporte’s French side in Paris.
REGGIE CORRIGAN (GREYSTONES/LEINSTER)
Date of Birth: 19 November 1970
Height: 188cm (6ft 2ins)
Weight: 115kg (18st)
Position: Prop
Debut: v Canada, November 1997
Caps: 46
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: –
Leinster: Games Played: 15
…Failed to make the 22 for the Italian game, losing out to Marcus Horan on the loosehead side, but has replaced late withdrawl Horan (winter vomiting bug) for the Paris trip…Capped twice as a replacement against Japan last summer, but failed to earn a call-up for the autumn internationals…Has enjoyed a steady run in the side – starting all 10 of Ireland’s games during the 2004 and 2005 6 Nations Championships as well as 4 Tests at the 2003 World Cup…Captained Ireland against Tonga and Samoa on tour in June 2003…Has yet to score for his country…A Leinster stalwart, he made his senior provincial debut in August 1997, three months before his Ireland debut against Canada…This season Corrigan became the third Leinster player to reach 100 caps…The Greystones club’s most capped Ireland player, 34 of Corrigan’s Ireland caps have come as a loosehead, 6 as a tighthead and 6 as a replacement…Saturday is his 5th Test against France…
JERRY FLANNERY (SHANNON/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 17 October 1978
Height: 180cm (5ft 11ins)
Weight: 102kg (16st)
Position: Hooker
Debut: v Romania, November 2005
Caps: 2
Points: 5
Tries: 1
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 2 (v Romania (sub, Italy))
Munster: Games Played: 15; Points: 15; Tries: 3
…Saturday is Flannery’s second start for Ireland, and his first game against France…The form hooker, he has replaced Shane Byrne and Frankie Sheahan (neck ligaments) in the squad thanks to his displays for Munster this season…Made his debut against Romania last November as a second half replacement…Scored his 1st try in the tight win over Italy last week…Played for Ireland at Under-21 and Student levels…Moved to Connacht from 2001 to 2003 before returning to figure as deputy to Sheahan at Munster…Is a son of Limerick publican Jerry Flannery Snr, who runs Flannery’s bar in Catherine Street…
JOHN HAYES (BRUFF/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 2 November 1973
Height: 193cm (6ft 4ins)
Weight: 121kg (19st)
Position: Prop
Debut: v Scotland, February 2000
Caps: 58
Points: 10
Tries: 2
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 4 (v New Zealand, Australia, Romania (sub)), Italy)
Munster: Games Played: 12
…Saturday is Hayes’ 8th Test against France, and 59th appearance in green – he beats Phil Orr’s record as Ireland’s most capped prop (58 caps), which has stood since 1987 – Hayes’ former Munster team mate Peter Clohessy finished his career on 54…Toured New Zealand with the 2005 Lions but failed to gain Test recognition…his first 34 caps came in the space of 35 Tests – “The Bull” was rested for the Ireland v USA game in June 2000…Like four other players in the current set-up, Hayes made his debut against Scotland in February 2000…Scored Test tries against Romania (September 2002) and Scotland (February 2005)…Had a run of 20 consecutive appearances in the Ireland front row until the end of the 2005 6 Nations…Started playing rugby as an 18-year-old with Limerick club Bruff…Won an All-Ireland League title with Shannon in 1995, then moved to New Zealand to play for Invercargill for two seasons and returned for a second AIL win with Shannon in ’98…Played in Heineken Cup finals for Munster in 2000 and 2002…
MALCOLM O’KELLY (ST. MARY’S COLLEGE/LEINSTER)
Date of Birth: 19 July 1974
Height: 203cm (6ft 8ins)
Weight: 114kg (17st 12lbs)
Position: Second Row
Debut: v New Zealand, November 1997
Caps: 76
Points: 35
Tries: 7
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 3 (v New Zealand, Australia, Italy)
Leinster: Games Played: 9
…Ireland’s record caps holder with 76 caps…Saturday will be his 9th Test against the French…Beat Mike Gibson’s previous record caps tally of 69 v Scotland in February 2005, and celebrated by scoring his 7th Test try…Played in 23 of Ireland’s last 25 Tests until the end of the 2005 6 Nations – he missed the Japan tour due to Lions duty, but O’Kelly was forced home from New Zealand early on with a groin injury…Has scored 3 tries in the 6 Nations – v Scotland (2000, 2005) and v Italy (2004)…Born in Chelmsford, Essex but educated in Ireland, O’Kelly holds a Masters degree in Mathematics from Trinity College…Was a Lions tourist in Australia in 2001…Signed a new contract last month to keep him playing in Ireland with Leinster until the end of the 2007/08 season…
PAUL O’CONNELL (YOUNG MUNSTER/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 20 October 1979
Height: 196cm (6ft 5ins)
Weight: 110kg (17st 5lbs)
Position: Second Row
Debut: v Wales, February 2002
Caps: 30
Lions Test Caps: 3
Points: 20
Tries: 4
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 1 (v Italy)
Munster: Games Played: 6; Points: 20; Tries: 4
…This is O’Connell’s 5th Test against France, and only his second outing in an Irish jersey since last March…He was sidelined for the autumn internationals due to a thumb and hand injury…In impressive form since returning – has taken his try tally to 4 in 6 games for Munster this season…Scored 2 tries in 2 Heineken Cup games since his comeback…Won 25 caps in the last 27 Tests for Ireland until the end of the 2005 6 Nations, then toured New Zealand with the Lions, starting all 3 Tests…With Brian O’Driscoll injured (hamstring), O’Connell captained Ireland v France (2004) and Scotland (2005)…Scored a try on his Test debut v Wales (2002) – Eddie O’Sullivan’s first game in charge of Ireland…A talented golfer (plays off 4), O’Connell cemented his position in the Irish side by playing in all 5 games at the 2003 World Cup…Made his Munster debut in 1999, played in the 2002 Heineken Cup final…Capped by Ireland Development XV and ‘A’ team previously…
SIMON EASTERBY (LLANELLI SCARLETS)
Date of Birth: 21 July 1975
Height: 191cm (6ft 3ins)
Weight: 106kg (16st 7lbs)
Position: Flanker
Debut: v Scotland, February 2000
Caps: 45
Lions Test Caps: 2
Points: 20
Tries: 4
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 3 (v New Zealand (captain), Australia (captain), Italy)
Llanelli Scarlets: Games Played: 12
…Saturday is his 6th Test against the French – no points…Easterby took over as Ireland captain from the injured Brian O’Driscoll for the autumn internationals v New Zealand and Australia…Won 20 consecutive caps before missing the 2005 summer tour to Japan due to his late call-up to the Lions squad for injury victim Lawrence Dallaglio…Played in the 2nd and 3rd Lions Tests v New Zealand (scoring a try in the 2nd Test)…Played for hometown Harrogate, then Leeds Tykes and was eligible for England, but then had a spell with Sydney University before joining Llanelli in 1999…One of five players in the squad to make their Ireland debuts v Scotland in 2000…Originally played for the Irish Exiles in the early part of his career with older brother Guy, who has failed to make the squad for the French game…
DAVID WALLACE (GARRYOWEN/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 8 July 1976
Height: 188cm (6ft 2ins)
Weight: 103kg (16st 2lbs)
Position: Flanker/Number 8
Debut: v Argentina, June 2000
Caps: 23
Points: 20
Tries: 4
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 1 (v Italy)
Munster: Games Played: 15; Points: 10; Tries: 2
…Earned a recall to the Ireland side after some barnstorming displays for Munster in the Heineken Cup – scored the late try (v Sale) that guaranteed the province a home quarter-final date…Saturday will be Wallace’s 3rd Test against France – no points…His 22nd cap came v Japan last June – his previous one came v South Africa in June 2004 – missed a year owing to injury…Game v Italy is his second 6 Nations outing since the Triple Crown win against Scotland in March 2004…Wallace was a Lions tourist in Australia in 2001 – his elder brothers, Richard and Paul are also former Lions and Ireland internationals…Made the Ireland Development tour in 1997, then earned Under-21 and ‘A’ caps, was called up for the Senior tour to South Africa in 1999 – failed to play – but earned 1st cap v Argentina on the 2000 summer tour…Has scored 4 Test tries – v Wales (2003), v Scotland (2003, 2004) and in the second Test v Japan (2005)…
DENIS LEAMY (CORK CONSTITUTION/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 27 November 1981
Height: 187cm (6ft 1in)
Weight: 108kg (17st)
Position: Flanker/Number 8
Debut: v USA, November 2004
Caps: 7
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 4 (v New Zealand, Australia, Romania, Italy)
Munster: Games Played: 15; Points: 15; Tries: 3
…Saturday’s game is Leamy’s 1st Test v France…It is his 5th Test as a number 8 after his role at the base of the Irish scrum for the autumn internationals and against Italy last week…Has started in each of the back row positions for Ireland…Has played as a centre, a flanker and number 8 in his Munster career…Earned his first Senior call-up for the 2004 autumn Tests – gained his 1st cap v USA that November, played against Italy in last season’s 6 Nations opener, being preferred to the smaller Johnny O’Connor at openside…Injury then saw him sidelined…Returned for the tour to Japan – started the second Test…Capped as Ireland Schools and Under-21 levels…Now a regular in the Munster back row – debut in August 2001 – with over 50 caps…
REPLACEMENTS:
RORY BEST (BELFAST HARLEQUINS/ULSTER)
Date of Birth: 15 August 1982
Height: 180cm (5ft 11in)
Weight: 105kg (16st 7lbs)
Position: Hooker
Debut: v New Zealand, November 2005
Caps: 2
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 2 (v New Zealand (sub), Australia (sub))
Ulster: Games Played: 15; Points: 15; Tries: 3
…If he plays, Saturday’s clash will be Best’s 1st outing against France and first involvement in a 6 Nations tournament…Has impressed in the Heineken Cup for Ulster this season, scoring 2 tries in 5 pool games…Earned his first Ireland caps as a replacement against New Zealand and Australia last November…In his second season with Ulster, he is a younger brother of Ulster captain and Ireland prop Simon Best…was a member of the Irish squad at the 2003 Under-21 World Cup…
SIMON BEST (BELFAST HARLEQUINS/ULSTER)
Date of Birth: 11 February 1978
Height: 185cm (6ft 1in)
Weight: 112kg (17st 8lbs)
Position: Prop
Debut: v Tonga, June 2003
Caps: 10
Points: 5
Tries: 1
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 2 (v New Zealand (sub), Romania)
Ulster: Games Played: 15; Points: 5; Tries: 1
…4 of his caps have come in the last 6 of Ireland’s Tests (Best sat on the bench v Australia last November)…If he plays, this will be his 1st Test against France…Educated at Portadown College, Best is a brother of Ulster and Ireland hooker Rory…Started both Tests against Japan last summer, scoring his 1st international try in the first game…Played for Ireland at all junior levels, then stepped up to ‘A’ level in 2001, before getting a Senior call-up in 2003…Is in his first season as Ulster captain, having taken over from retired Ulster and Ireland flanker Andy Ward…
DONNCHA O’CALLAGHAN (CORK CONSTITUTION/MUNSTER)
Date of Birth: 23 March 1979
Height: 198cm (6ft 6ins)
Weight: 110kg (17st 3lbs)
Position: Second Row
Debut: v Wales, March 2003
Caps: 20
Lions Test Caps: 2
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 4 (v New Zealand, Australia, Romania, Italy (sub))
Munster: Games Played: 14; Points: 5; Tries: 1
…If he plays, this will be O’Callaghan’s 2nd Test v France…He made the most of his Munster team mate Paul O’Connell’s hand injury to start all three autumn internationals…14 of his caps have come as a replacement – 6 starts to date…Earned 2 Lions Test caps in the 2nd and 3rd Tests against New Zealand last summer…Has progressed to the Ireland side via the Under-19s (won FIRA World Youth Championship in 1998), Under-21s an ‘A’ Team…Came into the extended Ireland 6 Nations squad in 2003 after Gary Longwell tore a hamstring v France…O’Callaghan made his Test debut against Wales that March…One of four players from the Cork Constitution club to play v Australia last November…
JOHNNY O’CONNOR (LONDON WASPS)
Date of Birth: 9 February 1980
Height: 180cm (5ft 11ins)
Weight: 96kg (14st 4lbs)
Position: Flanker
Debut: v South Africa, November 2004
Caps: 10
Points: 5
Tries: 1
2005/06 Form: Ireland: Games Played: 3 (v New Zealand, Australia, Romania); Points: 5; Tries: 1 (v Romania)
London Wasps: Games Played: 15; Points: 10; Tries: 2
…If he plays, this will be O’Connor’s 2nd Test v France – no points…Has started in 10 of Ireland’s last 14 Tests, including the two games against Japan last summer and the three autumn internationals…Scored his 1st Test try in the win against Romania last November…Joined Wasps from Connacht in 2003 after a recommendation from the London club’s England back row Lawrence Dallaglio…Nicknamed “Johnny O’Concrete” because of his combative nature…Was part of the Wasps squad that won the English Championship and the Heineken Cup in 2004…Has played for Ireland at Under-19, Under-21, Under-23 and ‘A’ levels…Made his ‘A’ team debut v Italy in February 2001…
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