FOLLOWING the anxieties on Thursday that surrounded the fitness of blind side flanker Jeremy Davidson and, to a lesser extent, tight head prop Peter Clohessy, for the match against France here this afternoon, the doubts about both players being available were allayed yesterday. The confident expectation now is that they will play today.

Davidson sustained a scratched cornea in his right eye at the training session in Dublin on Thursday and had to be treated in hospital before the team departed for Paris. The eye was covered to rest it and the protection was not removed until Davidson trained with the team in Orsay, outside Paris yesterday.

Davidson was, fortunately, able to see without difficulty and while the cover was put back on the eye to give it further rest no further problems are anticipated. "The medical report is very positive and unless there is an unexpected setback this morning, and we do not expect any, Jeremy Davidson will play," said a relieved Ireland manager, Pat Whelan.

Clohessy had some discomfort from his back on Thursday, but he was able to take a full part in the training session yesterday without any difficulties. "We now have no doubt that he will play," said Whelan, who on Thursday sent for Neil Francis and Paul Wallace to travel to Paris as cover for Davidson and Clohessy.

"We just could not take any risks and that is why we brought the extra players," said Whelan. "We are obviously very relieved that we do not have to change the team. It Davidson had withdrawn Francis would not, in fact, have played. The initial indications on Thursday after the training session were that if Davidson was ruled out, Francis would come into the second row, Paddy Johns would go to the number eight position and Victor Costello would move from there to the blindside flank.

In fact, after discussing the issue, we had decided that if Jeremy was ruled out, we would have played Den is McBride on the open side flank and switched David Corkery to the blind side. That would have led to the minimum of change rather than disrupting both the second and back rows," said Whelan.

I am very relieved that we do not have to change the team at all. I think there is a greater awareness now on the part of the players to realise what it takes to win a major international. We went into the last match on the back of two wins and maybe that bad its effect. The players know differently now. We expect them to play accord rugby. We want to play a rucking game if possible and spread the ball when it is prudent to do so, added Whelan.

Ireland coach Murray Kid said. "If we had to change the side, the players we would have brought in are familiar with the system. But, however, it is always much better to be able to line out with the selected team. It would also have been extremely disappointing had any player had to drop out, as it was for Simon Geoghegan" said Kid.

Davidson's reaction when he came through the session was "I am fine now, thank God. I must confess I was worried and anxious on Thursday. When I took the cover off before I went training, the eye was sore, but it got better and better and I am quite positive now I will be able to play. I'm particularly anxious to play after what was for the team and for many of us a very disappointing performance against Scotland."

A request from the Irish Government, made through the Irish Embassy in Paris, was made to the IRFU yesterday for the Ireland team to wear white ribbons as a token of peace. The request came late yesterday afternoon.

"We were not unaware of any such request until we got the call from the Embassy, said an IRFU official.