Captain Rory Best and six other players return to the team for Ireland’s final 2019 Guinness Six Nations home match, as they look to see off the challenge of France and stay in the title race which is currently led by Grand Slam hopefuls Wales (16 points).
2019 GUINNESS SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, March 10
IRELAND (3rd) v FRANCE (5th), Aviva Stadium, 3pm (live Virgin Media One/ITV/UTV/FR2/DMAX/NBC/RTÉ 2fm/BBC Radio Ulster/IRFU Live Blog)
Team News: Head coach Joe Schmidt has announced the Ireland team to play France in today’s Guinness Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium, making seven personnel changes to the side that won 26-16 away to Italy last time out.
For Schmidt’s final Six Nations fixture at home, hooker Rory Best returns to captain the team for the 31st time – he has led Ireland to 20 wins so far – with Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong reuniting the front row from the England and Scotland clashes.
Best’s Ulster colleague Iain Henderson make his first Test start since November, combining with James Ryan in the second row, while Peter O’Mahony, who captained Ireland in Rome last month, is joined in the loose forwards by Josh van der Flier and the fit-again CJ Stander, who resumes at number 8 following his recovery from a facial injury.
Garry Ringrose also returns after missing the last two rounds with a hamstring injury, pairing up again with Connacht’s Bundee Aki in midfield. The rest of the back-line is unchanged with full-back Rob Kearney making his 90th appearance for Ireland and Conor Murray, Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale all chasing their third tries in as many Six Nations matches.
Athlone man Jack Carty could make his home debut off the bench after winning his first cap against Italy, and Ireland’s back-line options also include Jordan Larmour who is back from a finger injury. Seven of the replacements got game-time in the last round, including the all-Munster front row of Dave Kilcoyne, Niall Scannell and John Ryan.
Meanwhile, France head coach Jacques Brunel has unsurprisingly kept faith with the same 23 players who were involved in their 27-10 victory at home to Scotland in round three. Young Toulouse half-backs Romain Ntamack (19) and Antoine Dupont (22) will lead the back-line again with 23-year-old full-back Thomas Ramos taking on the kicking duties.
Toulon’s Guilhem Guirado captains les Bleus for the 28th time, having led them to 10 previous wins. Flanked by Jefferson Poirot and Demba Bamba, who turns 21 next Sunday, he is hoping to skipper France to only their second triumph in nine meetings with Ireland.
There are starting spots for Sébastien Vahaamahina, Arthur Iturria and Wenceslas Lauret, who all started in the pack against Ireland in Paris last year along with Guirado and Poirot. The back row combination of Lauret, Iturria and Montpellier’s Louis Picamoles shone against the Scots with blindside Lauret the leading tackler (22).
The burly Mathieu Bastareaud, who last played against Ireland in the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool defeat in Cardiff, pairs up once more with Gael Fickou in the centre, while Ramos, a silky runner from deep, is joined by Yoann Huget, a try against Wales and Scotland last month, and Damian Penaud in the back-three.
Guinness Six Nations Results/Fixtures
Guinness Six Nations Table
IRELAND: Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster); Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster); Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster); Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) (capt), Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Queen’s University/Ulster), James Ryan (UCD/Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster).
Replacements: Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster), Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster), Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jordan Larmour (St. Mary’s College/Leinster).
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain); Damian Penaud (AS Clermont Auvergne), Mathieu Bastareaud (RC Toulon), Gael Fickou (Stade Français Paris), Yoann Huget (Stade Toulousain); Romain Ntamack (Stade Toulousain), Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain); Jefferson Poirot (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Guilhem Guirado (RC Toulon) (capt), Demba Bamba (CA Brive Corrèze Limousin), Felix Lambey (Lyon OU), Sebastien Vahaamahina (AS Clermont Auvergne), Wenceslas Lauret (Racing 92), Arthur Iturria (AS Clermont Auvergne), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier Hérault).
Replacements: Camille Chat (Racing 92), Etienne Falgoux (AS Clermont Auvergne) Dorian Aldegheri (Stade Toulousain), Paul Willemse (Montpellier Hérault), Gregory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais), Baptiste Serin (Union Bordeaux-Bègles), Anthony Belleau (RC Toulon), Maxime Medard (Stade Toulousain).
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Karl Dickson (England)
Television Match Official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Ireland to win: 1/7; Draw: 25/1; France to win: 5/1
Pre-Match Quotes: Joe Schmidt (Ireland) – “It was about giving a bit more opportunity. It’s great have CJ back in there. James Ryan, Rory Best, those guys who have been rested from the last game. Jack Conan was initially due to start against Scotland so we wanted to give him an opportunity to get his foot back in the door and demonstrate what he can do off the bench and to spread the opportunities again at hooker and prop.
“Ultan Dillane has played really well for us. His tackle count was very high against Italy, the number of positive involvements he was involved in were really good as well so we wanted to reward that performance.
“We have had some others in the squad because we’re trying to give opportunities. Ross Byrne has slotted straight back in and done a really good job. Rob Herring has been in and Kieran Marmion has been in as well. They all come into the reckoning potentially next week as well.
“Josh has had less time than Sean (O’Brien) and hasn’t let us down. He started last year against the French and got that injury so this is a good opportunity for him. The second row, as tempted as we were with Tadhg Beirne, he’s been a little bit sore this week as he’s still coming back after injury. He was in the mix but he’s going to get the weekend off and he’ll come back in fresh to train next week.”
Jacques Brunel (France) – “I’m expecting a lot from the team. Ireland are able to play at great speed but we have talented players who can compete with this team and they performed well against Scotland. Italy gave Ireland a great battle and we hope to be able to offer them the resistance and ambition that we showed in the last match.
“I am looking for our younger players to progress in every game. They have shown a lot of calm against Scotland but this will be another test. We need to be more consistent and be able to reproduce what we did against Scotland. The context of this match will be different and I hope our pack will put the half-backs in good positions.”
Pre-Match Links –
Irish Rugby TV: Rob Kearney Previews Ireland v France
Irish Rugby TV: Cian Healy On The Build-Up To The France Match
Irish Rugby TV: Simon Easterby On Building Depths And Constants In Our Game
In Pics: Ireland Squad To Face France Trains At Carton House
Irish Rugby TV: Rory Best Captain’s Run Preview Ahead Of Ireland v France
Irish Rugby TV: Andy Farrell On Ireland v France
Recent Meetings –
2016: RBS 6 Nations: France 10 Ireland 9, Stade de France
2017: RBS 6 Nations: Ireland 19 France 9, Aviva Stadium
2018: NatWest 6 Nations: France 13 Ireland 15, Stade de France
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