Each of those coming in having a good case for inclusion yet conventional wisdom suggests changing as little as possible before a Stade de France game
00:01, 05 Feb 2026Updated 07:07, 05 Feb 2026
Darker before the dawn?(Image: ©INPHO/Ben Brady)
Ireland won the last time they were in France, in 2024, posting a brilliant 38-17 win at the Velodrome in Marseille.
The tables were turned 12 months later, however, when France ran Ireland ragged in Dublin, the final score 27-4e2 flattering for the home side had posted two tries at the very end.
Perhaps the story of last year is of who wasn’t there, namely Andy Farrell who was away on Lions duty, and his review of that performance was said to have been scathing.
Frankly, tonight in Paris, if Ireland are 42-13 behind after 75 minutes in Paris it would be considered a thumping so it is not something he wants repeated.
Selection issues have dictated a lot about this clash and there is an enforced change to be the backline where Hugo Keenan misses out with a thumb injury. Stuart McCloskey is a first-centre essentially winning his 50-50 selection battle with Bundee Aki as the latter is suspended.
Jacob Stockdale’s international rehabilitation continues and he has been chosen over James Lowe for the left wing while similarly Cian Prendergast gets ahead of Jack Conan at no6, both very big, bold statements from Farrell.
That’s not least as it discards the discourse about using Lowe an auxiliary left-footed clearance kicker to aid Sam Prendergast while the very same coach had picked Conan at no8 for all three Lions tests in Australia last summer.
Ireland’s front-row hand was also forced as Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle are unavailable and at tighthead where it was decided not to risk Tadhg Furlong who was said to be ‘touch and go’.
Farrell turns to Munster for the no1 shirt as 30 year-old Jeremy Loughman starts with Michael Milne on the bench although he has a familiar faces for the other side in Thomas Clarkson with Finlay Bealham to fall back on for the bench.
On the whole It is a solid selection with each of those coming in having a very good case for inclusion; the corollary is that conventional wisdom suggests changing as little as possible before the white heat/white noise of a Stade de France examination.
A more cautious coach might have waited a week in Stockdale and Cian Prendergast’s case while, given Osborne had not played since November 8th not gambled on a six-two split. Jack Crowley and Craig Casey are the backline’s bench cover.
Overarching though, selection points to Farrell being determined to move this group on, to lower the age profile, and if there needs to be some collateral damage taken on the chin on the way it might help make up for the time ‘lost’ when he was away.
This, of course, leaves his on-field leader Caelan Doris potentially having hands full, fulfilling the captain role will not just be a difficult task because it is away in Paris…
But also in that he may have to put some extra minding into some members of the flock.
Ireland were two wins and two loses through November and, Doris reveals, one of his first messages he will be insisting on to try and dismiss the fear factor France and Paris can engender on Six Nations nights.
“It’s better more framed in the opportunity,” says the no8 of the challenge. “What we can go and do, excitement about the group that we have, about how we’ve trained and about kind of inspiring our nation and getting them fully back through a good performance.”
This before taking an earlier leaf out of the Farrell playbook of quotes, the coach having noted Ireland’s fall of in fortunes during his absence and pointing out how the side were now the hunted rather than the hunters.
Continued Doris: “I don’t think it changes a ton, really. It’s still about doing things our way and doing things properly from how we’ve trained and carrying that forward.
“There’s probably an extra hunger in defence to go after them and get the ball back and things like that.
“So it is a little bit of the hunter versus the hunted, like properly getting after their pack, which starts to use, set-piece and breakdown are probably key points, defence as well, obviously.
“But yeah, scrum time, lineout time, maul time, trying to get a stake in the game through that and be dominant there but ultimately it still comes back to showing what we’re capable of back to showing the belief that we’ve created through how we’ve trained and bringing that forward on the night.”
Ireland have specifically noted France’s structured selection with four backs including out-half Mathieu Jalibert from European champions Bordeaux and six players, four in the pack, from Top 14 champions Toulouse.
“Bordeaux’s attack is coached by Noel McNamara, or backs at least, so I’m obviously quite familiar with him going back to Ireland U18s,” says Doris of the O’Callaghan’s Mills, Clare, born coach.
“I think Bordeaux probably have a little bit more structure in their attack. Toulouse are probably a little bit more free-flowing, more keeping the ball alive, more of that playing off no9, both sides with backs striking.
“Both teams have massive attacking threats which we’re going to face tonight.”
Ireland will need to be on message from minute one.
“It’s always more of an emphasis away from home, especially in France, to get a stake in the game early, get a bit of scoreboard pressure if you can.
“So that comes off the back of a fast start but equally if you place too much emphasis on it and things happen that you can’t control, sometimes you can lose a little bit.”
“So regardless of what happens in the first 10 or 20 minutes, the belief to stay in the game, keep doing things our way, and belief that we can get back on track. But, of course, we’ll be targeting a fast start.”
And it could be that Cian Prendergast, making his Paris debut, is the secret weapon.
“First of all, he’s an unbelievable lineout leader. He does a lot of work in the defensive lineout, a very good lineout option in attack as well. So I think that’s one strong point of his definitely.
“He’s a nuisance as well. I obviously faced him in the Dexcom two weeks ago, and he just gets stuck in both sides of the ball, and he’s extremely solid. He’s got good skills, very good understanding of the game, nuisance at the breakdown. I’m looking forward to playing with him in the back row massively.”
Certainly Ireland go do with someone being in the frame for the Man of the Match award because if Antoine Dupont is winning it, Ireland are almost certainly losing.
“He’s done me several times,” sighs Doris of possibly the world’s best rugby player. “I can think of one particular incident in 2023 where I feel I have him coming off one side of the breakdown and then he twirls and goes around me and beats three defenders on the other side.
“I’ve described him before as one of those little fish you try and touch and they dart away from you, and it’s true. You’ve got to be connected, you have to stay on him in multiple people.
“You can’t kind of make the decision for him by coming out of system and thinking, ‘oh here’s the best player in the world, I need to go and get him and prove a point. He’s a big threat, he’s the heartbeat to their attack.”