Joe Schmidt has named the Ireland team to play France, with Johnny Sexton returning from injury.
Ireland
15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 74 caps
14. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 56 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 5 caps
12. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster) 26 caps
11. Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster) 30 caps
10. Johnny Sexton (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 63 caps
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 55 caps
1. Jack McGrath (St. Mary’s/Leinster) 38 caps
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) c 101 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 13 caps
4. Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster) 44 caps
5. Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster) 44 caps
6. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 12 caps
7. Sean O’Brien (UCD/Leinster) 46 caps
8. Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster) vc 93 caps
Replacements
16. Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 1 cap
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 64 caps
18. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 3 caps
19. Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster) 29 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 37 caps
21. Kieran Marmion (Corinthians/Connacht) 10 caps
22. Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster) 21 caps
23. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 69 caps
This should be an absolute corker of a game, but I have a feeling that Sexton won’t stay on for long. He will have a big target on him for the French forwards and I expect to see guys like Maestri and Picamoles running straight down the 10 channel when they get ball in hand. When Sexton has the ball I expect a lot of pressure coming his way as well.
What more has Craig Gilroy to do to get selected even only to sit on the bench. Obviously scoring three tries in 14 minutes counts for nothing. Not being selected for the French game he must be shattered. Coming on for the last 20 minutes with his speed and body swerves he would be a massive potential game winner. Bad mistake Joe.