Rugby:Ireland coach Declan Kidney has made eight changes and a positional switch to the team beaten 10-6 by Scotland for Saturday's Test match against France in Bordeaux. He has honoured his commitment to refresh the team throughout the warm-up matches ahead of confirming his 30-man World Cup on Monday, August 22nd.
Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Paddy Wallace and Luke Fitzgerald are retained behind the scrum while Leo Cullen – who became Ireland’s 100th captain when leading the team against Scotland – retains that role as well as his place in the secondrow. Donnacha Ryan switches to the backrow with Denis Leamy once again at number eight.
Paul O’Connell and Jamie Heaslip are included amongst the replacements, as is promising young Munster scrumhalf Conor Murray. Kidney has given Kearney, who managed the full 80 minutes last weekend in his first match since suffering knee ligament damage last January, more valued game time, while also keeping the back three intact.
There is a new midfield combination with Keith Earls partnering Paddy Wallace and Fergus McFadden dropping to the replacements in the continued absence of captain Brian O’Driscoll. The latter will almost certainly return for Saturday week’s game against the French at the Aviva stadium.
The Irish coach has opted for a new halfback combination of Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan and an entirely new front. Jerry Flannery, another long term injury victim, starts on the bench for the second week in succession, having made his competitive return during the Murrayfield game.
Donncha O’Callaghan and Seán O’Brien have been included in the back five, with last week’s debutant Mike McCarthy and Niall Ronan dropping out of the matchday squad. Tony Buckley and Felix Jones, another player to win his first cap last week, are on the bench.
Kidney insists Ireland are still smarting from their defeat to Scotland and identifies victory as they key objective in each of the warm-up games.
“Every single time winning is the most important thing,” he said. “We’re still disappointed about last weekend and we’ll do our level best to win this weekend because otherwise you’re dishonouring the jersey.
“Whatever you call the game or series, once you pull on that jersey you’re duty-bound to respect the people who have worn it in the past and the people at home by playing to the best of your ability.”
Ireland are still missing several frontline players in O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Tommy Bowe and David Wallace most of whom may feature on Saturday week, a match that other long term absentees Geordan Murphy and Stephen Ferris will hope to play in to try and earn a place on the plane to New Zealand.
Murphy played 55 minutes for the Leicester Tigers during the week in a 50-24 defeat to Montpellier before rejoining the Ireland squad. Ferris hasn’t played a competitive game since January and while he is on the cusp of a return, there remains only one match – against France at the Aviva stadium on Saturday week – before Kidney must confirm his travelling party to New Zealand.
IRELAND (v France):R Kearney; A Trimble, K Earls, P Wallace, L Fitzgerald; R O'Gara, E Reddan; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; L Cullen (capt), D O'Callaghan, D Ryan, S O'Brien, D Leamy. Replacments: J Flannery, T Buckley, P O'Connell, J Heaslip, C Murray, F McFadden, F Jones
FRANCE (v Ireland):D Traille; V Clerc, D Marty, M Mermoz, A Palisson; F Trinh-Duc, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, D Szarzewski, L Ducalcon, J Pierre, R Millo-Chluski, T Dusautoir (capt), I Harinordoquy, R Lakafia. Replacements: G Guirado, JB Poux, L Nallet, J Bonnaire, M Parra, D Skrela, M Medard, F Barcella .
