Rugby Test: France v Ireland

07.02.2009
France v Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin

France is probably the most likely team to challenge Wales for the 6 Nations title for 2009. But can Ireland finally rise above some very ordinary form to create a 'Croke Park Special' and win this test match? So what do you think? Which team will win?
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Preview
The team of experience verses the new and mostly untried. This is the mix of the teams when they run onto Croke Park tomorrow.

Ireland has a new coach but that's about all. The team has five players with 85 test matches or more to their credit. Unfortunately this experienced combination has hardly caused a stir since their exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The team is based upon the European Champion side Munster and they are mostly in the forwards or the inside backs. This pack outplayed Argentina in November which is saying something.The brittleness and pedestrian nature of the backs ( 1 try scored in 3 tests last November) has caused Paddy Wallace to be employed at inside centre. This is not a backline that will excite. Will we get much of the same durgid rugby from Ireland we have come to expect?

Ireland's Last Five Tests
22.11.2008 v Argentina in Dublin Won 17-3
15.11.2008 v New Zealand in Dublin Lost 3-22
08.11.2008 v Canada in Limerick Won 55-0
11.06.2008 v Australia in Melbourne Lost 12-18
07.06.2008 v New Zealand in Wellington Lost 11-21

France, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. The team consists of two players with more than 50 caps and whole lot more with ten or less. France looked far more solid up front in their November tests that they have for a while and the backline looks like it could spring an attack at any time soon. That's what the coaching staff want France to go back to, the good old days of French flare. Will we see it from France in Dublin. If they do they will walk the old solid Irish pack all over Croke Park.

France's Last Five Tests
22.11.2008 v Australia in Paris Lost 13-18
15.11.2008 v Pacific Islands in Marseilles Won 42-17
08.11.2008 v Argentina in Marseilles Won 12-6
05.07.2008 v Australia in Brisbane Lost 10-40
28.06.2008 v Australia in Sydney Lost 13-34

Last Five test Results between France and Ireland
09.02.2008 France 26-21 in Paris (6 Nations)
21.09.2007 France 25-3 in Paris (World Cup Warm Up)
11.02.2007 France 20-17 in Dublin (6 Nations)
11.02.2006 France 43-31 in Paris (6 Nations)
12.03.2005 France 26-19 in Dublin (6 Nations)

Ireland's last win was 15-12 in Dublin 2003.

GWC Rugby Rankings: World Table-Ireland 7th, France 8th
Europe Table-France 3rd, Ireland 4th

Prediction: France by 8 points

Teams

Ireland
15 Robert Kearney (Leinster) Age 24, 11 tests
14 Tommy Bowe (Neath Swansea Ospreys, Wales) 24, 18
13 Brian O'Driscoll, Capt (Leinster) 29, 87
12 Patrick Wallace (Ulster) 29, 12
11 Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster) 21, 7
10 Ronan O'Gara (Munster) 31, 87
9 Tomas O'Leary (Munster) 25, 3
8 James Heaslip (Leinster) 24, 13
7 David Wallace (Munster) 32, 50
6 Stephen Ferris (Ulster) 23, 8
5 Paul O'Connell (Munster) 29, 57
4 Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster) 29, 50
3 John Hayes (Munster) 35, 89
2 Jeremy Flannery (Munster) 30, 26
1 Marcus Horan (Munster) 31, 61
Replacements
16 Rory Best (Ulster) 26, 27
17 Thomas Court (Ulster) 28, New Cap
18 Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster) 34, 90
19 Denis Leamy (Munster) 27, 34
20 Peter Stringer (Munster) 31, 85
21 Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster) 28, 37
22 Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers, England) 30, 58
Head Coach: Declan Kidney

Tom Court makes his test debut for Ireland. An amazing five players have played in 85 tests or more for Ireland.

France
15 Clement Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain) age 26, 32 tests
14 Julien Malzieu (Clermont Auvergne) 25, 6
13 Florian Fritz (Stade Toulousain) 24, 13
12 Yannick Jauzion (Stade Toulousain) 30, 55
11 Maxime Medard (Stade Toulousain) 21, 3
10 Lionel Beauxis (Stade Français) 22, 11
9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres) 23, 4
8 Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz Olympique) 29, 51
7 Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier) 22, 11
6 Thierry Dusautoir (Stade Toulousain) 27, 17
5 Lionel Nallet, Capt. (Castres) 32, 42
4 Sebastien Chabal (Sale, England) 30, 41
3 Benoit Lecouls (Stade Toulousain) 30, 5
2 Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français) 25, 30
1 Lionel Faure (Sale, England) 30, 6
Replacements
16 Benjamin Kayser (Leicester, England) 24, 5
17 Nicolas Mas (Perpignan) 28, 21
18 Romain Millo-Chluski (Stade Toulousain) 25, 4
19 Louis Picamoles (Montpellier) 22, 8
20 Morgan Parra (Bourgoin) 20, 4
21 Benoit Baby (Clermont Auvergne) 25, 6
22 Cedric Heymans (Stade Toulousain) 30, 43
Head Coach: Marc Lièvremont

Beauxis last played test rugby for France v Argentina in the 2007 Rugby World Cup playoff. Fritz last played for France v Italy at the start of the 2007 6 Nations competition.