STEPHEN FERRIS’S place in Ireland’s backrow to face France at Stade de France (kick-off 4.30pm Irish time) was confirmed yesterday after the 24-year-old Ulster flanker came through training yesterday. Ferris has been named in the starting line-up alongside Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace, with Sean O’Brien named on the bench alongside Donncha Ryan.

In addition to Keith Earls’s recall on the left-wing in place of Andrew Trimble, Ferris’s return at the expense of Kevin McLaughlin is the second change from the starting XV against Italy last weekend. The fit-again Jonathan Sexton has also been recalled to the bench, alongside Paddy Wallace, which means that McLaughlin and Trimble miss out on the match-day 22.

The Irish squad arrived to bitterly cold temperatures (minus 3) and snow in Paris yesterday and the Stade de France pitch has been covered in advance of tomorrow’s game. No snow is forecast for tomorrow, although temperatures are set to be between two and minus two degrees.

IRELAND(v France, Six Nations Championship, Stade de France, tomorrow, 4.30pm Irish time): 15 - R Kearney (Leinster); 14 - T Bowe (Ospreys), 13 - B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), 12 - G D'Arcy (Leinster), 11 - K Earls (Munster); 10 - R O'Gara (Munster), 9 - T O'Leary (Munster); 1 - C Healy (Leinster), 2 - J Flannery (Munster), 3 - J Hayes (Munster), 4 - L Cullen (Leinster), 5 - P O'Connell (Munster), 6 - S Ferris (Ulster), 7 - D Wallace (Munster), 8 - J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: 16 - Rory Best (Ulster), 17 - T Court (Ulster), 18 - D Ryan (Munster), 19 - S O'Brien (Leinster), 20 - E Reddan (Leinster), 21 - J Sexton (Leinster), 22 - P Wallace (Ulster).