Such is the supreme strength in depth available to France that head coach Fabien Galthie has made a number of high-profile omissions from his tournament squad, including leading try scorer Damian Penaud, Gregory Alldritt and Gael Fickou. Romain Ntamack is injured, so Matthieu Jalibert steps up alongside Dupont in their creative hub. Ireland know all about injury problems, having seen their preparations for this competition heavily impacted by fitness issues.
