Captain Peter O'Mahony insists Ireland are not motivated by righting the wrongs of the World Cup ahead of their eagerly anticipated Six Nations opener against France on Friday night.
Last year the sides met in an enthralling Six Nations encounter, the first time in the competition’s history that the top two ranked sides in the world were crossing paths in the iconic tournament.
Ireland prevailed that day with many expecting the two to battle it out for World Cup glory before both came unstuck at the quarter-final stage last October.
The pair remain the favourites to battle it out for championship glory, with Ireland’s Grand Slam campaign last year following on from a French clean sweep 12 months previous.
However the Marseille clash - with Ireland ranked second in the world, two spots above the French - is not fuelled by a desire to atone for the latest World Cup disappointment, according to O’Mahony.
"We’re not trying to prove a point to ourselves about what happened, we’re trying to prove where this team is at, where we want to go," he said at Thursday's captain’s run.
"It’s not about putting things right. It is about a Test match tomorrow night."
Ireland embark on a first campaign without Johnny Sexton since 2009, with O’Mahony set for his 102nd cap.
The 34-year-old played down talk of a championship shootout against Les Bleus.
"In this competition, every game is colossal," he said. "That’s an understatement. Make of it what you want, but both of us are out there tomorrow to win the game and set us up for a bit of momentum for the rest of the campaign. It’s a huge occasion for both of us."
Injury has meant Andy Farrell has been forced to rejig his backline, with Munster winger Calvin Nash getting a first Six Nations cap, while Leinster lock Joe McCarthy also comes in for his first taste of Six Nations action.
The decision to start callow McCarthy, whose tally of caps can be counted on one hand, over James Ryan in the second row was an eye-catching call.
The 22-year-old has impressed in Leinster colours since returning from the World Cup and O’Mahony says the newcomer has settled in well both on and off the pitch.
"He’s eager to learn and perform and play well and impress, and that is exactly what he has done.
"Destructive would be a word I’d use for him. He’s a great man to have around, great craic, and has really added to our squad in more ways than just rugby."
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