‘Caelan’s Done Incredibly Well To Get Back’ – Easterby

This weekend’s match has been circled on many calendars since the fixtures were released twelve months ago. Ireland and France have either been champions or runners-up in the last three Six Nations tournaments, and look set to decide the destination of the 2025 title.

There have been some gripping encounters between the teams in the Six Nations era, and the upcoming 25th anniversary of Brian O’Driscoll’s famous hat-trick in Paris gives a timely reminder of how far Ireland have come in this rivalry.

Those unforgettable nights at the Stade de France in 2014 and 2018, from the ‘Super Saturday’ drama of the 22-20 win to secure the first of three Championships under Joe Schmidt, to Jonathan Sexton’s magical drop goal, four years later, which kicked off a glorious Grand Slam run.

France hit back to beat Ireland over three successive campaigns between 2020 and 2022, and their 30-24 home victory from three years ago – under current boss Fabien Galthié – earned them their first Six Nations crown and Grand Slam since 2010.

Their 2007 title success was a sweet one for les Bleus, with Vincent Clerc delivering a late dagger to Irish hearts, but at the same Croke Park venue two years later, a terrific Jamie Heaslip try lit the touchpaper for a long-awaited Grand Slam under then-head coach Declan Kidney.

A packed-out Aviva Stadium witnessed another absolute classic in 2023, with top-class scores from Hugo Keenan and Damian Penaud standing out in a 32-19 triumph for Andy Farrell’s men. Fans of both sides, and the neutrals, are hoping for more of the same on Saturday afternoon.

As well as it being a potential title decider, captain Caelan Doris, Finlay Bealham, and Jack Conan will run out for their 50th Ireland caps, and it will be a farewell in green on home soil for Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray, who are calling time on their illustrious international careers.

Knowing how much is riding on this result, Easterby said: “You always want to feel like you’re going to go out and perform and inspire the people watching, Inspire the nation like this team has done for a number of years.

There’s a number of factors to this game for us, and wanting it to be really special. It’s the last home game of the season for us. It’s a number of players’ final home appearance in an Irish jersey.

“But there’s also something else on the line as well, which is bigger than all of that. So I think there’s a number of things and factors to want to make sure that this is a a really top performance from us.

“I think the way that the lads have gone about their business this week – not just the guys that are starting, the bench players, but also the guys that have come in and assisted the team in preparation – has been fabulous.

“I think that’s been the mark of this group of wider players as much as the guys that get the chance and responsibility to take the field.

“It’s the other players that have come in and created a special week for everybody involved, and hopefully that will be shown in the performance on Saturday.”

One of the main talking points ahead of the game has been the make-up of both benches, with Ireland opting for a 6-2 split for the first time since last year’s loss away to England.

France have again gone with just one recognised back in scrum half Maxime Lucu among their replacements, repeating the 7-1 tactic from the last round against Italy when they ran out 73-24 winners in Rome.

In terms of their starting XV, the Six Nations leaders have made four personnel changes with Doris, Bealham, Keenan, and Bundee Aki all returning. Mack Hansen (quad) and Rónan Kelleher (neck) miss out through injury, while Garry Ringrose is suspended.

Tadhg Furlong is still making his way back from calf and hamstring injuries, training with both Leinster and Ireland these last couple of weeks, but Jack Conan has recovered from a lower back problem to be part of a strong bench.

Easterby paid tribute to Doris for diligently working his way back to full fitness after missing the Triple Crown-clinching defeat of Wales with a knee injury. There is additional back row firepower with both Conan and Ryan Baird waiting in the wings.

As Jamie Osborne is set for back-to-back Six Nations starts for the first time, lining out on the right wing and offering cover in key areas of the back-line, the Ireland coaches were able to go forward heavy with regards to the replacements.

“I think there’s a number of reasons why we’ve done it (the 6-2 split),” explained Easterby. “One is that we have a bit of flexibility in Jamie’s position, him covering the majority of the positions in the back-line.

“Caelan has done incredibly well to get back to full fitness and done a brilliant job himself, but also with the medical staff. He’s been able to get himself right from an injury which other players might not have been able to do in that short space of time.

“But we also felt that we needed to make sure that we had good coverage in the back row. The guys that did start in Wales in Jack Conan, he was very good. He’d come off the bench well, but also Ryan Baird came off the bench in Cardiff, and James Ryan did as well.

“So we just felt like the dynamics of that pack, and the way that France might play the game, meant that we felt like that was a really nice, chunky sort of back five of our scrum being able to come on and make an impact.

“Along with having the flexibility of someone like Jamie that could start on the wing but could also play other positions.”

Ireland have done it the hard way at times during this Six Nations, coming from 10-5 down at half-time against England, and weathering a Welsh storm, and the impact of Ringrose’s 20-minute red card, to erase an 18-10 deficit in Cardiff last time out.

They also stamped out a Scottish fightback when their lead had been cut from 17 to just six points. Asked if taking on an in-form France is as tough as it gets in the Championship, Easterby said it may be obvious but ‘every game is your next toughest game’.

We’ve kind of found our way through some sticky patches during the Six Nations. Haven’t always been as effective as we would have liked either side of the ball, defence and attack.

“But I guess this represents a serious challenge to us. The challenge is one thing, but the opportunity that it presents this team as well is something really special.

“We know that given the opportunity, the French have the ability to do real damage, but so do we.

“We feel really confident that if we get our game in place and that we win moments and create momentum, this team can do something special as well.”