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Ireland make one change for Six Nations title finale against France
By Liam Heagney
Ireland have made just one change to their XV for Saturday's Guinness Six Nations finale against France in Paris, Robbie Henshaw promoted to the starting line-up in place of the injured Garry Ringrose.
Unlucky No13 Ringrose was left with a broken jaw last Saturday following a 27th-minute collision in the win over Italy and Henshaw, who came off the bench for his provincial colleague in the 50-17 win, will now start at the Stade de France.
Henshaw's promotion from the replacements has resulted in Chris Farrell getting called-up but there is no bench spot for John Cooney, who was called into the training squad at the start of the week due to an injury concern over reserve Jamison Gibson-Park.
The Leinster scrum-half has come right, however, and he will provide the back-up in Paris to Conor Murray on an evening where loosehead Cian Healy becomes only the sixth Ireland player ever to win 100 Test caps.
He joins an exclusive Irish centurion club featuring Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes.
Ireland currently sit on top of the Six Nations table, a point clear of England and France. They travel knowing that a bonus-point win will guarantee them the title and that a win minus a bonus-point will likely see the destination of the title decided on points difference on a day when rivals England play away to Italy.
IRELAND (vs France, Saturday)
15. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 29
14. Andrew Conway (Garryowen/Munster) 22
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 44
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 27
11. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster) 1
10. Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (capt) 92
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 82
1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 99
2. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 12
3. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster) 27
4. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster) 14
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 27
6. Caelan Doris (UCD/Leinster) 3
7. Will Connors (UCD/Leinster) 1
8. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 42
Replacements:
16. Dave Heffernan (Buccaneers/Connacht) 2
17. Ed Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 1
18. Finlay Bealham (Galway Corinthians/Connacht) 10
19. Ultan Dillane (Galway Corinthians/Connacht) 16
20. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 68
21. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster) 1
22. Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster) 7
23. Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 9
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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