2000, 2014 and 2018. Just a fourth win in Paris of the professional era is Ireland’s target as they renew rivalries with France in one of the most anticipated games in this year’s Guinness Six Nations.
2022 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, February 12
FRANCE (1st) v IRELAND (2nd), Stade de France, 5.45pm local time/4.45pm Irish time (live Virgin Media One/ITV 1/UTV/France 2/RTÉ Radio 1/BBC Radio Ulster/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton has been ruled out with a hamstring strain sustained in training on Wednesday. Joey Carbery replaces him at out-half for his first Six Nations start.
Carbery, who is the one enforced change made by head coach Andy Farrell, and Jamison Gibson-Park pair up at half-back. Outside them is the centre duo of Garry Ringrose and Bundee Aki, who both scored tries against Wales last week.
Mack Hansen, a try-scoring player-of-the-match on his debut, continues in the back-three alongside ultra-consistent full-back Hugo Keenan and Andrew Conway, the scorer of a brace in the Wales game.
James Ryan captains the side from the second row where he packs down with Tadhg Beirne, while the all-Leinster back row of Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and number 8 Jack Conan remains intact.
Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong make up an in-form front row, with tighthead Furlong the most-capped member of the starting XV with 53 caps to his name.
Iain Henderson and Robbie Henshaw are both back to full fitness, rejoining the matchday 23 as replacements along with Connacht’s Jack Carty who is the back-up out-half.
For the game which will be televised on Virgin Media and ITV, Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray will also be on bench duty for Farrell’s men.
Speaking about Carbery stepping up to replace Sexton, Farrell said: “It is what it is. That’s the sport that we love. There’s always twists and turns, especially within a Six Nations competition.
“The competition is a long old competition. It spans over eight weeks for us. There’s always going to be things that we have to deal with. Johnny is an important member of our group, obviously being skipper of the side.
“He’s integral to how we push forward with many parts of our environment. At the same time, this is just about the group. Johnny will travel with us and will be as leading as he possibly can be, but this is about the group.
“It’s a great development for us as a team going forward as well. We still expect ourselves to be at our best in Paris on Saturday.
“Joey has been training really well there (at number 10). As has Jack (Carty) as well. Jack comes onto the bench and Joey gets an opportunity to start.
“Joey will be a leader within itself anyway and so would Jack Carty if he enters the field. We’re always trying to grow as a leadership group anyway as far as sharing the responsibility.
“One of the tasks of the leadership is to make sure every single one of our players becomes a leader in their own right. We’re expecting everyone to step up to the plate.”
He added: “These things are great for us. We grow as a group. That’s all part of the journey. James Ryan has captained the side a good few times now.
“He gets to lead his country in another big game and we get to find out more about ourselves.”
Meanwhile, France, who were 37-10 bonus point winners over Italy last Saturday, have made two changes for this second round visit of Ireland.
An ankle injury has sidelined Jonathan Danty, so Bordeaux-Bègles youngster Yoram Moefana (21) comes in for his first Six Nations start at inside centre. It is his fourth Test appearance.
Toulouse’s Francis Cros gets the nod in the back row, replacing Dylan Cretin, and Thibaud Flament, another member of the Heineken Champions Cup holders’ squad, comes in as part of a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench.
Fabien Galthié’s charges are aiming to make it two victories from two for the third Six Nations tournament running.
Last week saw Toulon winger Gabin Villière become the first Frenchman to score a Championship hat-trick of tries since Vincent Clerc in 2008 against Ireland.
Guinness Six Nations Results/Fixtures
Guinness Six Nations Table
FRANCE: Melvyn Jaminet (Perpignan); Damian Penaud (Clermont Auvergne), Gaël Fickou (Racing 92), Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux-Bègles), Gabin Villière (Toulon); Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Antoine Dupont (Toulouse) (capt); Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Cameron Woki (Bordeaux-Bègles), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), François Cros (Toulouse), Anthony Jelonch (Toulouse), Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle).
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), Demba Bamba (Lyon), Romain Taofifénua (Lyon), Thibaud Flament (Toulouse), Dylan Cretin (Lyon), Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux-Bègles), Thomas Ramos (Toulouse).
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster); Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Mack Hansen (Connacht); Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Munster), Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster); Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt), Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Replacements: Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster).
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales)
Television Match Official: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Pre-Match Quotes: John Fogarty (Ireland) –
When things get tough, James (Ryan) grows as a person. He’s shown time and time again that he can dig deep and lead by example a huge amount of the time on the field.
“He’ll be very focused on how he speaks and clear in how he speaks. His preparation during the week builds confidence in everyone around him and like I said, once it gets to the pitch and we need people to front up, he leads in those ways.
“That’s what I’ll say about James. He’s an excellent professional and he’s admired by the group for those reasons.
“What I’ve noticed over the last two years, what we’ve been doing in training, we’re clear in our minds about what we want to achieve in our training sessions now. We’re getting really good (front row) competition.
“I’ve seen that develop during the last two years. The scrum sessions are difficult to be in for them. There’s lots of pressure on them and they’re learning the whole time.
“It’s exciting to see that. The players having an open mind, not getting too excited about going too well and not getting excited about not going well. They know that they’ve got to learn.
“They’re using the experiences and the games, and what we do during the week, really, really well. Because of that we’ve got a group of front rowers now that are developing.”
Fabien Galthié (France) –
We worked on Ireland and prepared for the game with him (Sexton) at out-half. What we saw against Wales and New Zealand he was their playmaker, their lead, their captain.
“We think this team are very structured, they have a very serene game-plan, they will keep that style of attack.
“We imagine they will keep the same fundamentals, attack and defence-wise despite the absence of Johnny Sexton.
“Ireland arrive with a good run of victories, with the status of European number one and third in the world, therefore they are the best European adversary at the moment.
“They come to Paris with the same ambition as us – to win. Clearly Saturday we are touching the summit of European rugby, the sublime side of European rugby.
“Our opponent is hugely admired by followers of rugby, therefore all that obliges us to have the will power and the belief to raise our levels in all respects.”
Pre-Match Links –
‘We’ll Need One Of Our Best Performances’ – Conway
Farrell: It’s An Opportunity For Us To Grow As A Group
Carbery ‘Really Excited’ For First Six Nations Start
‘An Incredible Stadium. Incredible Atmosphere’ – Sexton On Paris Cauldron
In Pics: Ireland Captain’s Run In Paris
Recent Meetings –
2019: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 26 France 14, Aviva Stadium
2020: Guinness Six Nations: France 35 Ireland 27, Stade de France
2021: Guinness Six Nations: Ireland 13 France 15, Aviva Stadium
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