IF Osborne is starting i would think its because Hansen and Nash are injured. Not ideal. Esp. without Ringrose.
Osborne would have to play FB and Keenan wing. Osborne v Billie-Barry does not bear thinking about.
6-2 Would actually be the best option now - Best available players in the 23 AND 7-1.
GARRYOWEN'S Galore will be rained down upon the French Wings and FB.
If Ireland are going for a 6-2 split in the subs, it makes total sense. unfortunate for Nash.
Nash went off early on Friday so I assumed he has a knock, hence TOB being called up?
I don’t love Osborne on the wing, he’s a great fit for 23 but I’d play JOB ahead of him at 14.
France have named their side. Alldritt starts and there's a 7-1 split on the bench.
France have gone for the 7/1 split. Serious beef on the bench with Meafou and Jelonch. Alldritt makes it.
Dupont is effectively covering 10-15. One back injury and they have to start shuffling. It's a massive risk.
Barring injury enforced I think it's crazy to see 7-1 split of the bench
Thornley was saying that they are going for this approach from a tactical perspective in that they want the forwards to absolutely empty themselves so that they can get the space to go wide. Something to that effect anyway.
It's a massive risk.
I hope it backfires spectacularly. It is a fundamentally stupid idea.
The French are ruffled.
Dropping Penaud-Bringing him back-Cheaty Henry in camp-Alldritt 'Groin' issue to mirror Doris knock-
The 7-1 Bench is the biggest indicator that they are desperate.
IF Ireland score 1st Try and are leading at H-T; The French wont come back into it.
7-1 has only convinced me further of that.
Its still a big IF but the last time France won at Lansdowne Road when behind at HT was 1999. edit & 2011!
Ireland dealt well with South Africa's 7)1 at the World Cup iirc. They were never overwhelmed by the extra physicality that bench brought.
La Rochelle went 7/1 against Leinster a few months ago and it didn't really work either. I don't like the risk you take with your squad. If there's one injury in the backline you have to reshuffle everything.
When Leinster played Toulouse in the 2023 Champions Cup semi final the French side went with a 6/2. They lost Barassi to injury early in the game so Ntamack had to move from 10 to centre and Dupont moved to flyhalf. They moved their entire playmaking hub because they had insufficient cover. They were hammered 41-22 and struggled in attack for large parts of that game. It's an even bigger risk with a 7/1. France might think they have cover with the players on the pitch but imo they'd be far worse if a switch like the above occurred again.
Can someone start a match thread? Give us a decent write-up for this one.
I'll do one but If anyone else wants to by all means….
Here's the official announced line up.
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(44) 14. Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(6) 13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(80) 12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(63) 11. James Lowe (Leinster)(39) 10. Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(6) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(41)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(73) 2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(30) 3. Finlay Bealham (Corinthians/Connacht)(49) 4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(17) 5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(59) 6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(112) 7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(71) 8. Caelan Doris (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) (captain)(49)
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(42) 17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(136) 18. Thomas Clarkson (Blackrock College/Leinster)(5) 19. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster)(70) 20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(49) 21. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(26) 22. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(123) 23. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(22)
Mack Hansen (quad) and Rónan Kelleher (neck) were unavailable for selection due to injury, while Saturday’s match came too soon for Tadhg Furlong who continues to progress in his rehabilitation.
https://www.irishrugby.ie/2025/03/06/easterby-names-ireland-team-to-face-france-at-aviva-stadium/
Happy enough with that. Would rather Ryan start, and have had Boyle on the bench. If France defend the way they did versus Italy, I think we win it comfortably
Osborne is a far better 12/15 than he is a wing. But he's an excellent line runner and I think/hope we'll have him make trailing runs off Henshaw's shoulder. He's a big athlete and could do a lot of damage breaking the line after receiving an offload. He also has the longest kicking distance of any player in the tournament to date. Prendergast, Lowe and he could be vitally important to counteracting the France kicking game.
Front row replacements are a concern for me but expect big impact from Conan, Baird and Ryan.
I do wonder if we will actually see Osborne play 15 despite the number on his back.
you don’t win comfortably against that French team
Props are a concern but in fairness Herring has never let us down when coming off the bench.
For the life of me I don't understand the reason for a 6-2.
Beine will play the full 80 and if there's an issue in the back row he can move there. O'Mahoney is the only one of them that is coming off unless there's an injury. We'd be much better with a 5-3 and proper cover for the backs.
I wouldn't have Baird.
In a couple of years that boot will be very useful when it comes to replacing Lowe.
Aggregate score the last 2 games is 70-36!
we hammered them last year in Paris, and beat them the year prior, when they had better teams.
Marseille 😝😎
You right, mea culpa
There are injury concerns over both Doris and Conan, and Joe McCarthy has very little rugby recently. I don’t love the 6-2 as a concept but in this case it seems the right call.
And we’re running out of quality backs
Nash was available apparently, big call.
The issue with Osborne is not how good he is when we have the ball but rather when we don't have the ball.
Kinsella is saying Nash is fit and available which makes this Osborne call all the more bizarre IMO.
Would imagine it's game plan related. Going to be raining bombs on the French. Hope our kick chase is on point.
