By Shamrock
February 29 2012
France make two changes in the side to take on Ireland on Sunday in the rearranged game.....but Ireland are sticking with the same side.
Philippe Saint-Andre believes Julien Bonnaire's lineout skills will prove invaluable at the Stade de France while Clement Poitrenaud’s inclusion at full-back was made on account of Maxime Medard’s injury against Italy, Saint-André chose to drop Louis Picamoles to the bench allowing Bonnaire to come in at openside.
But Decland Kidney has resisted the temptation to tinker with his side despite seeing replacements Tom Court and Eoin Reddan in particular, impress from the replacements’ bench against the Azzurri.
“We have used the time off well and maybe those weeks off have benefited us,” said O’Connell.
“We have trained well and prepared well and this is a very experienced side going over to France.
“A lot of the players have experience, either internationally or European, of going away from home and winning and we’ll be looking to use that experience on Sunday.”
France:
15. Clement Poitrenaud (Toulouse)
14. Vincent Clerc (Toulouse)
13. Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne)
12. Wesley Fofana (Clermont Auvergne)
11. Julien Malzieu (Clermont Auvergne)
10. Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier)
9. Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne)
1. Jean-Baptiste Poux (Toulouse)
2. Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais)
3. Nicolas Mas (Perpignan)
4. Pascal Pape (Stade Francais)
5. Yoann Maestri (Toulouse)
6. Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse)
7. Julien Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne)
8. Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz)
Replacements:
16. William Servat (Toulouse)
17. Vincent Debaty (Clermont Auvergne)
18. Lionel Nallet (Racing Metro)
19. Louis Picamoles (Toulouse)
20. Julien Dupuy (Stade Francais)
21. Lionel Beauxis (Toulouse)
Ireland:
15. Rob Kearney (Leinster)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13. Keith Earls (Munster)
12. Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster)
11. Andrew Trimble (Ulster)
10. Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
9. Conor Murray (Munster)
1. Cian Healy (Leinster)
2. Rory Best (Ulster)
3. Mike Ross (Leinster)
4. Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster)
5. Paul O’Connell (Munster)
6. Stephen Ferris (Ulster)
7. Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Replacements
16. Sean Cronin (Leinster)
17. Tom Court (Ulster)
18. Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
19. Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
20. Eoin Reddan (Leinster)
21. Ronan O'Gara (Munster)
22. Fergus McFadden (Leinster)
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