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Six Nations 2023 - Ireland v France Build-Up Thread, Sat 11th Feb KO 2:15PM - TV: RTÉ2, ITV, France2

Jump_In_Jack

Ireland v France, in the Aviva in Dublin.

Ireland will take on France in round two in what is being commonly regarded as this year’s title decider.

Ireland, the number 1 team in the World coming into this tournament haven’t beaten the number 2 team, France, in the Six Nations Championship since winning at home in the Aviva 26-14 in 2019.

Ireland are coming into this match after an away bonus point win in Cardiff, while France also won with a bonus point in Rome.

(The team will be announced on Thursday so a match thread could begin Wed afternoon.)

Furlong, Gibson-Park and Healy ruled out of French match. Blade and Milne called up. Kelleher back in training, Salanoa and Stewart remain with the squad.

Ireland squad (41 players)

Backs (18): Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Ross Byrne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Keith Earls, Jamison-Gibson Park, Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Garry Ringrose, Johnny Sexton (capt), Jacob Stockdale.

Forwards (23): Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Rónan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Joe McCarthy, Michael Milne, Peter O’Mahony, Tom O’Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Roman Salanoa, Dan Sheehan, Tom Stewart, Josh van der Flier.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/six-nations/2023/0206/1354062-furlong-healy-and-gibson-park-ruled-out-of-france-game/

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aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209183#Comment_120209183

I think that’s too simplistic tho.

Last season, Leinster’s first choice 6 and 8 pairing was pretty certain to be 6. Doris and 8. Conan. This season it’s been mixed between 6. Doris 8. Conan and 6. Baird 8. Doris.

Conan has been (indirectly) losing out to Baird at times. If he wasn’t competition of a sort, Conan would be starting.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209202#Comment_120209202

Cheers for making it simple for me.

This is exactly what I was saying! Neither Coombes or baird are a better 8. No where near. Doris can move to 6 if needed.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209228#Comment_120209228

Let’s just leave it at that I reckon; nowhere near is way overstating it imo.

clsmooth

Hoping to see Baird off the bench as back row cover this 6N. Don’t think it’ll be against France though but wouldn’t be surprised if it was against Italy and Scotland.

The explosiveness he offers as a 6 is a real point of difference. Think that was negated when he was played in the second row.

Sportsmad5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209075#Comment_120209075

I am old school, I like seeing my No8 scoring tries- Doris can do it, but look at Coombes v Conan.

Compare them since 16.01.22 (when Doris got 2)

JC Leinster appearances 14 + 5 as sub Tries Nil Ireland 4 + 8 as sub 1 try

GC Munster appearances 19 + 1 as sub Tries 9 Ireland - no games play

Looking at their other stats for this season (allowing for 503 mins v 942 played by Coombes)

carries, metres gained are similar, Coombes has 24 defenders beaten v 7 + 151 tackles v 54, even if you double them, to allow for minutes played, there is still quite a gap.

Just don't agree with Coombes is no where near Conan at 8

942 mins played

[Deleted User]

I think Coombes will need an injury to really get much of a chance between now and the World Cup and I think he needs International minutes to improve his game. Conan and Doris and whilst the gap between Conan and Coombes wouldn't be much Doris is one of the best backrows in the World right now.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209771#Comment_120209771

Cheers. Appreciate that. Lot of research there.

I just think conan has the experience and smarts. Do I think he's he better 8, yes. Coombes is the future, but I don't believe at 8.

leakyboots

Ah Coombes has been sensational bar his dip in October when he subsequently got dropped. As I pointed out on here before, he had an injury at the start of the season that kept him out until late Sept/early October. Might explain why he was a little slow to get going this year.

He's playing to a brilliant level, tackles, carries, lineout, groundwork, passing, tries... I don't know can he do much more to advance his case than he's doing. Hope he gets a couple of runs during the championship

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209876#Comment_120209876

Gleeson looks like he'll be kicking Coombes aside in a few years. Saw him for the u18's last year. Fcukin savage! I'd say he's the best #8 prospect over the last decade.

Akrasia

I still think the French pose a huge additional challenge compared to Wales. Ireland won in Wales because our defense was solid and we took our chances in attack. (Captain obvious)

France will stretch our defense because they have multiple attacking options with a much more powerful pack who will take more of our defenders to stop, and this will open up gaps in our defensive line.

To counter this, we need power. We're already down Furlong. Beirne is not the most powerful 2nd row. Conan is a good loose forward who can exploit gaps in the wide channels but we would lose out defensively compared to Coombes.

Shehal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209957#Comment_120209957

If we start picking our team to suit playing France rather than the team that suits the way we play then we've already lost anyway. We saw against SA that we dont need to fill the pack with big bastards to win. I cant believe at this stage people are still claiming Beirne isnt a power 2nd row.

awec

The team stays as it is IMO. I don't see a reason to change it.

Aki / McCloskey is a 50/50 call, I think McCloskey has shown enough to remain the incumbent but also wouldn't be surprised if he brings Aki back in. I like the idea of Aki's impact off the bench against tireder legs.

Gavin Coombes is a great player but he's very unlucky at the options available to us ahead of him, and I'd be surprised if he gets capped barring injuries. Even Italy I think we'll go fully loaded or very close to it if there is a grand slam on.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211061#Comment_120211061

Agreed , although I think for Italy we might see the bench swap over a bit with the starting 15 but I don't think we'll see many changes to the 23 - Now Italy don't continue to perform at the sort of level they displayed last week-end things might change , but even then probably not massive changes.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211082#Comment_120211082

Think we'll definitely see some movement from bench to the starting team. Some of that will depend on how Italy go against England and whether the France game was a blip or if they're more serious contenders this year.

Either way we've a tough run of games in the World cup with South Africa, Scotland and then all things going well either NZ or France. I think that will sharpen the focus this Six Nations in terms of how much we go into depth outside of the first choice 23.

I don't think Ross Byrne and Crowley will both come into the 23, but we could see something a bit different with Crowley starting and Sexton on the bench.

If Kelleher is fit I think this will be one he'll start, I think Henderson might come into the starting team for Ryan and if that happens I wouldn't be surprised to see Baird come in at six or Coombes at eight but not both.

I think Larmours form deserves a call up and possibly might make the 23 with Stockdale and Aki starting at 12 and 13.

All hard to know - but as I said I think limited numbers from outside the 23 we saw picked against Wales. Furlong, JGP or Henshaw find fitness and they'll be straight into the starting 15.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211082#Comment_120211082

The Italy game comes after a dead weekend so the players will be rested coming into the game, I think one benefit for using the same 23 is it preps you for your knockout games in the RWC where there's no opportunity to rest your best.

Obviously, in making some switches it give you one more opportunity to see how the next of the best perform in a competitive environment away from home.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211303#Comment_120211303

The Italy game is actually bookended by rest weekends, which I think makes it even less likely we'll see any changes that aren't injury enforced.

Bogwoppit

I’m not sure Aki/Mcloskey is a 50/50, while Aki had a good impact when he came on he looked as though he was carrying a few extra donuts. Perhaps that’s partly why he’s out of the Connacht team.

Would he be able to go for 80 minutes? Farrell will obviously have a lot more information to go on than me though.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211061#Comment_120211061

Agree, there's very little reason for change at the moment.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211426#Comment_120211426

It was the same last year and IIRC Lowry for Keenan was the only real rotation.

pickarooney

Stockdale at 12? Wtf?

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211835#Comment_120211835

Carbery started ahead of Sexton. Hansen came in at 14 for Conway. Henshaw came in for Bundee, and Baird came in for Ryan. So there were a few changes. And I think we'll get one or two this year.

R.Byrne starting and Sexton on the bench is a non-negotiable.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212114#Comment_120212114

Sexton was injured at the start of the 6N last year, Carbery started the first few games.

Also it wasn't that Hansen came in at 14 for Conway, it was that Lowe was fit again and came back in.

And James Ryan was injured, hence Baird.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212160#Comment_120212160

Sexton only missed the France game. He was fit again for Italy (he was on the bench) but they started Carbery anyway.

Lowe did come back in, but Conway was first choice at 14 the November previous, and most expected Lowe would come back in for Hansen. It was interesting at the time that Hansen kept his place, not Conway.

Dubinusa

I'd go with Stu also. He is an offloading threat and his size and strength will wear France down. I checked the URC stats a couple of weeks back and Stu was leading the league in offloading.

The amount of players out injured isn't ideal but, it's expanding the depth a bit. Even lads called into the squad will benifit.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212114#Comment_120212114

R.Byrne starting and Sexton on the bench is a non-negotiable.

Maybe the reason you get so frustrated with Ireland is because you set these unrealistic lines in the sand all the time.

Realistically, we had one selection (Lowry) against Italy last year that was unrelated to injury, two if you count Carbery staying in over a recovering Sexton. Setting yourself up for wholesale changes this year, you're likely to be disappointed.

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212558#Comment_120212558

Setting yourself up for wholesale changes this year, you're likely to be disappointed.

Except I didn't. I said one or two. Please don't make things up that I didn't say.

[Deleted User]

Interview with Kilcoyne and Lowe. Some good insight but was disappointed one of the journalists tried to pry into why Lowe was in New Zealand. Leave it alone.

Hadn't realised the extent of Kilcoyne's injury.

phily2002

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209957#Comment_120209957

Conans one of our hardest hitting tacklers, he went a Lions tour without missing a tackle...

Coombes deserves a shot but if Farrell didn't include him last week there's no chance he'll include him this week. I'd start Conan ahead of POM against France, as you said they are much more powerful and Conan would add more physicality in defense and attack.

Farrell likes POM but Coombes, Conan and Baird are all in better form this season.

phily2002

Wayne Barnes is the ref. He's a good ref I always feel he goes tougher on Irish teams. Hopefully he's alright on the weekend

Akrasia

The ref shouldn't matter.

Winners don't make excuses when the other guy plays the game (I've started watching Suits in netflix)