6 Nations
What would a France 23 look like if it made sense?
Trying to predict a France team selection is often like trying to predict the weather; Often you think have it sussed out, but then the day comes and it is not what you expected at all. What would a France team look like if they cared about cohesion? Or tried to build partnerships? Or played players in their best positions?
Front Row: Dany Priso, Guilhelm Guirado, Uini Atonio
Locking down the scrum we have one of the best scrummaging looseheads in Europe; La Rochelle’s Dany Priso. On the tighthead side is the largest man in rugby Uini Atonio, and the man in the middle is captain fantastic, and France’s most important player, Guilhelm Guirado
Embed from Getty ImagesSecond Row: Arthur Iturria, Paul Jedrasiak
An all Clermont pairing. Arthur Iturria was one of the stars of France’s defeat to Wales. The Clermont man made 24m from 5 carries, made 9 tackles and threw three offloads. Paul Jedrasiak will bring some much needed “dog” to the French pack.
Embed from Getty ImagesBack Row: Sekou Macalou, Yacouba Camara, Louis Picamoles
Number 8 should be one of the first names on the team sheet: Louis Picamoles. The Montpellier 8 is one of France’s most consistent performers. On the flanks are speed demon Sekou Macalou, and all-action Montpellier flanker Yacouba Camara
Embed from Getty ImagesHalf-Backs: Antoine Dupont, Camille Lopez
If there is one thing that French rugby does well, it’s a lively scrum half. Baptiste Serin, Baptiste Couilloud, are both fantastic players, but Toulouse 9 Antoine Dupont is the best of the lot. France have struggled for consistency for their out-halves in recent years, but when he’s been fit, Clermont 10 Camille Lopez has performed quite well for France.
Embed from Getty ImagesMidfield: Wesley Fofana, Gael Fickou
He may be made of glass, but there is few players centres classier than Wesley Fofana. He made his long awaited return to international rugby last weekend, and it was like he had never left. Romain Ntamack is likely the future of the French midfield, and the man to fill in if Fofana can’t stay fit. Fickou is France’s best 13, and one of the biggest losers in the persistent selection of Mathieu Bastareaud. Fickou probably has as much caps on the wing as he does in midfield
Embed from Getty ImagesBack Three: Gabriel Lacroix, Thomas Ramos, Alivereti Raka
A left-field pick for one of the wing spots – La Rochelle wing Gabriel Lacroix. Lacroix was on the verge of the France XV in 2017, making one appearance before an ACL injury put a stop to his 2018. If he can get back in form, he should add to his single cap. Thomas Ramos has been a star for Toulouse at full-back this year, even making the odd appearance at 10. He will be hoping to get some action off the bench in Twickenham this weekend. Right wing goes to Clermont’s big Fijian Alivereti Raka. Raka has been ripping it up for Clermont but some poorly timed injuries mean that he is still waiting to make his debut for the national team. He has recently become a French citizen.
Embed from Getty Images- Dany Priso
- Guilhelm Guirado
- Uini Atonio
- Arthur Iturria
- Paul Jedrasiak
- Sekou Macalou
- Yacouba Camara
- Louis Picamoles 16. Pierre Bourgarit
- Antoine Dupont 17. Jefferson Poirot
- Camille Lopez 18. Demba Bamba
- Gabriel Lacroix 19. Felix Lambey
- Wesley Fofana 20. Marco Tauleigne
- Gael Fickou 21. Baptiste Serin
- Alivereti Raka 22. Romain Ntamack
- Thomas Ramos 23. Damian Penaud
Munster Rugby and the IRFU are pleased to confirm contract extensions for Conor Murray and Jack Daly with Brian Gleeson to be promoted from the Academy to the senior squad next season.
Murray and Daly have signed one-year extensions with Gleeson moving up to the senior squad on a two-year deal.
Gleeson is one of five Academy players moving up to the senior squad next year with Tony Butler, Ethan Coughlan, Mark Donnelly and Edwin Edogbo also signing two-year deals.
Conor Murray is one of the most decorated scrum-halfs in world rugby with 116 Ireland caps and three British & Irish Lions tours to his name.
A former St Munchin’s College student, the Garryowen man won his fifth 6 Nations title with Ireland last month and earned his second league title with Munster last season.
The 34-year-old has made 185 Munster appearances and scored 34 tries for the province to date and was named on World Rugby’s Team of the Decade in 2019.
25-year-old flanker Jack Daly came up through the ranks at Castleisland RFC and made his Munster debut against Zebre in 2020.
Daly joined the Academy in 2018, moved up to the senior squad in 2021 and plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen. A former Ireland U20 international, he made his Champions Cup debut against Toulouse in the quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium in 2022.
Try-scoring number 8 Brian Gleeson leads the charge for the Ireland Under-20s against France ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
20-year-old Gleeson moves up to the senior squad after just one year in the Academy that has seen him score one try in nine senior appearances.
Currently out of action with an ankle injury, he had already made three Champions Cup appearances before turning 20.
The powerful back-row forward was a Grand Slam winner with the Ireland U20s last year. plays his AIL rugby with Garryowen and came up through the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell College.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against Scotland at Aviva Stadium (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Ireland – currently sitting top of the Six Nations table heading into Super Saturday – can clinch back-to-back Championship titles with victory over Scotland in Dublin.
Farrell has named an unchanged starting XV for the Round 5 clash, as Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash and James Lowe continue in the Ireland back three. Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are once again selected in midfield, with Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park the starting half-backs.
Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong pack down in the front row, with Joe McCarthy partnering Tadhg Beirne – who is set to win his 50th Test cap for Ireland – in the engine room.
Captain Peter O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench, with Rónan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan providing the reinforcements up front, and Conor Murray, Harry Byrne and the fit-again Garry Ringrose the backline options.
Saturday’s match is live on Virgin Media One and ITV, with live radio coverage available on RTE Radio 1.
Ireland Team & Replacements (v Scotland, Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Saturday, March 16, 4.45pm)
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(39)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(5)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(71)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(55)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(30)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(13)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(34)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(63)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(25)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(75)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(9)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(49)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(104)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(61)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(40)
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(30)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(128)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(39)
19. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(19)
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(45)
21. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(115)
22. Harry Byrne (UCD/Leinster)(3)
23. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster)(57).
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Head Coach Andy Farrell has named his Ireland Match Day Squad for Saturday’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham (Kick-off 4.45pm).
Peter O’Mahony captains Ireland for the Round 4 visit to London, with Hugo Keenan returning to the starting XV after recovering from injury.
Keenan joins Calvin Nash and James Lowe in the Ireland back three, with Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw continuing their midfield partnership.
Jack Crowley and Jamison Gibson-Park are retained as the half-back pairing.
In the pack, Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are in the front row, with Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne named in the engine room. Captain O’Mahony is at blindside flanker, Josh van der Flier is at openside and Caelan Doris completes the starting XV at number eight.
The Ireland Coaching Team have selected a 6-2 split on the bench, as Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird and Jack Conan provide the reinforcements in the pack.
Backs Conor Murray and Ciaran Frawley complete Ireland’s Match Day 23 to face England.
Saturday’s match is live on RTÉ2 and ITV.
Ireland:
15. Hugo Keenan (UCD/Leinster)(38)
14. Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(4)
13. Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster)(70)
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht)(54)
11. James Lowe (Leinster)(29)
10. Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(12)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)(33)
1. Andrew Porter (UCD/Leinster)(62)
2. Dan Sheehan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(24)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster)(74)
4. Joe McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)(8)
5. Tadhg Beirne (Lansdowne/Munster)(48)
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster)(captain)(103)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster)(60)
8. Caelan Doris (St Mary’s College/Leinster)(39)
Replacements:
16. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)(29)
17. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)(127)
18. Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht)(38)
19. Iain Henderson (Academy/Ulster)(80)
20. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(18)
21. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)(44)
22. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster)(114)
23. Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(3)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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