Rugby - Ireland v France team news:Ireland coach Declan Kidney will afford Stephen Ferris every opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's Six Nations clash in Paris. Ferris came through training with the rest of the squad this morning but a final decision on the flanker will not be taken until Thursday at the earliest.
Ferris’s physicality and abrasiveness will be badly needed at the Stade de France and Kidney is clearly prepared to give the Ulster blindside as much time as necessary. Should Ferris fail to make it, Kevin McLaughlin and Sean O’Brien are waiting patiently in the wings, with the former more likely to get the nod.
“We’re leaving the position open to see if Stephen can come through a series of fitness tests he’s in the process of doing at the moment,” explained Kidney at today’s team announcement before stressing the management team won’t be rushed into a decision. “We won’t make a decision until we have to,” he added. “The game isn’t until Saturday.”
There was initially some confusion over Donncha O'Callaghan’s involvement, with an IRFU press release claiming he too would be assessed over the next 48 hours. But it soon became apparent the second row has not recovered from the knee injury sustained in training last week and Leo Cullen will again start in his stead.
"Donncha trained this morning but just isn’t right to take the pitch on Saturday," said the coach.
In the front row, Jerry Flannery retains his place at hooker while Marcus Horan is again not even included among the possible replacements. Cian Healy and John Hayes, having held firm against the feared Italian scrum at Croke Park, can expect an even sterner examination in the French capital in an area the French will assuredly target.
Behind the scrum, Ronan O’Gara’s polished performance against Italy saw him nail down the number 10 jersey with a fit-again Jonathan Sexton named on the bench.
“Ronan had a very good game the last day, so for that reason there was no reason not to pick him again this week,” Kidney said. “Jonathan is making a good recovery. The final stage of that we would imagine will be achieved tomorrow when he goes place kicking again.
“We’re in the lucky position of having two good fly-halves and Ronan’s experience will be more than helpful going to Paris.”
Indeed, the solitary change in the backs sees Andrew Trimble make way for Keith Earls on the left wing. Trimble, who had been struggling with a hamstring problem, is currently among nine replacements to be whittled down to seven when the selection is finalised on Thursday.
“Keith went very well against South Africa and didn’t put a foot wrong in December and January," Kidney said today. "I thought Andrew did well (against Italy) but Keith hadn’t done anything wrong and I believe he deserves his chance now.”
Kidney's opposite number, Marc Lievremont, was dealt a series of blows earlier this afternoon after both his first choice wings were were ruled out. Aurelien Rougerie and Benjamin Fall have failed to recover from knocks picked up in Scotland last Sunday while prop Luc Ducalcon also joins them on the injured list.
Rougerie started France’s 18-9 win over Scotland at the weekend but lasted just five minutes after two massive hits on Kelly Brown and John Beattie led to him injuring his neck.
Brive’s Alexis Palisson has been drafted into the squad but Vincent Clerc, so often Ireland’s tormentor in the past, is expected to be in the starting line-up when Lievremont reveals his hand tomorrow morning.
There seemed to be better news about Fall, who was initially pronounced fit today, but the Bayonne wing has now been replaced by Clermont’s Julien Malzieu for the meeting of the tournament favourites and defending champions.
Toulouse prop Jean-Baptiste Poux replaces Ducalcon with the 30-year-old coming back into the France squad for the first time in two years.
Ireland:Rob Kearney (Leinster); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Keith Earls (Munster); Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Tomas O'Leary (Munster); Cian Healy (Leinster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Munster); A.N.Other, David Wallace (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster) Replacements (from):Rory Best (Ulster) Tom Court (Ulster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Kevin McLaughlin (Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster)