Ireland to stay in title hunt with win over France
Round Four of the Six Nations concludes on Sunday when Ireland host France looking for a victory that would keep them in the race for glory.
Currently three points behind pace-setters Wales and with England in second position, Ireland know it’s win or bust in Dublin against Les Bleus.
France meanwhile will have been buoyed by their most recent performance against Scotland and will hope to build on that effort this weekend.
If it were any other nation an unchanged side would’ve been a given, but with France it was a shock to see the same 23 confirmed on Tuesday by head coach Jacques Brunel. Players are rewarded and kept in their preferred positions, which bodes well for France in terms of progress.
In stark contrast Ireland have made seven changes to their line-up as Rory Best, CJ Stander, James Ryan and Garry Ringrose are among those coming into the XV. A backlash is expected from the team in green following a below-par showing against Italy and France should be wary.
Ireland will not underestimate their visitors though, as there was a look of confidence in their win over the Scots, as Antoine Dupont sparked some much-needed drive to their attack while Wenceslas Lauret had one of his best games at Test level. They’ll enter Dublin with a swagger.
Ireland, as mentioned, although still in the mix to retain their crown, have dipped in form this year and frustrations have been clear to see. Johnny Sexton was visibly angry when coming from the pitch against Italy while a shaky line-out has seen Sean Cronin axed from the 23.
Victory at the Aviva Stadium therefore is much-needed before they travel to Cardiff to tackle a Wales side possibly on the verge of a Grand Slam. Already that meeting whets the appetite with many hoping both sides, as well as England, are in the hunt for a three-way title shootout.
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Players to watch:
For Ireland: Sorting out the set-piece will be high on the priorities for Ireland this weekend after that tough day in Rome. The return of Rory Best and James Ryan should help in that regard and the former’s leadership will be vital against a dangerous French side. The Ulster hooker’s return should bring solidity and calmness up front, which will give Conor Murray and Jonathan Sexton a sounder platform on which to launch their attacking games.
For France: It was pleasing to see Thomas Ramos retained in the France XV. The Toulouse star has been in fine form in the Top 14 and Champions Cup and should, if backed, be France’s long-term option in the 15 jersey. Electric in possession, having Ramos at the back completes a lethal spine to their line-up that includes the physical Guilhem Guirado and Louis Picamoles while Antoine Dupont and Ramos provide that crucial box office threat.
Head-to-head: The fly-half battle between Jonathan Sexton and Romain Ntamack has been mentioned already in ‘The short side‘ so we head up front for this pick where Cian Healy faces Demba Bamba. The young French prop was named man-of-the-match in their last outing so will be brimming with confidence as he builds on a promising early career. Bamba goes up against a seasoned campaigner in Dublin though and Healy will be looking to test him out as much as possible in the set-piece while both men are set to be frequent carriers for their sides.
Previous results:
2018: Ireland won 15-13 in Paris
2017: Ireland won 19-9 in Dublin
2016: France won 10-9 in Paris
2015: Ireland won 24-9 in Cardiff (RWC)
2015: Ireland won 18-11 in Dublin
2014: Ireland won 22-20 in Paris
2013: The sides drew 13-13 in Dublin
2012: The sides drew 17-17 in Paris
Prediction: Both boast strong line-ups ahead of what promises to be an absorbing contest on Sunday. But we just fancy the hosts to come out with their noses in front. Ireland to win by 10.
The teams:
Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Keith Earls, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 James Ryan, 4 Iain Henderson, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Rory Best (c), 1 Cian Healy
Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 John Ryan, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Jack Conan, 21 John Cooney, 22 Jack Carty, 23 Jordan Larmour
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Gaël Fickou, 11 Yoann Huget, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Arthur Iturria, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Felix Lambey, 4 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 3 Demba Bamba, 2 Guilhem Guirado (c), 1 Jefferson Poirot
Replacements: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Etienne Falgoux, 18 Dorian Aldegheri, 19 Paul Willemse, 20 Gregory Alldritt, 21 Baptiste Serin, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 Maxime Medard
Date: Sunday, March 10
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)