Ireland take on defending Guinness Six Nation champions France in Paris this evening (8.10pm)
Here's how the starting teams match-up.
BACK THREE
Jamie Osborne (Leinster, 10 caps) v Thomas Ramos (Toulouse, 47 caps)
Osborne is back into the starting 15 shirt after dislocating his shoulder against Japan. The 24-year-old gets the nod because of injuries to Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen. Accomplished in the air and has never let the team down at full-back. Positional play needs to be spot on against the raw pace of the French wingers. Was called up to the British and Irish Lions squad during the tour.
The French full-back brings a wealth of experience and will punish any Irish indiscipline inside 50 metres with his accurate right boot - he kicked 82.9% off the tee in last year's championship. Maybe not the best in the air but presents a huge threat on the ball and works cleverly with his wingers.
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster, 40 caps) v Theo Attissogbe (Pau, 2 caps)
Stockdale returns to the Six Nations after a brilliant run of form with his club. The 29-year-old was the 2018 player of the tournament but fell down the pecking order after 2020 and wasn't helped by a series of injuries. He has looked like the winger of old with the ball going forward but question marks remain over his defence.
Tipped as one of the players to watch, 21-year-old Attissogbe (above) has had an injury disrupted season with Pau in the Top 14 but has impressed Fabien Galthie sufficiently to force Les Bleus top-try scorer Damian Penaud out of the squad. Just at home at full-back, he scored twice on his debut against Wales last season and added another against Italy.
Tommy O'Brien (Leinster, 6 caps) v Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux-Begles, 22 caps)
A former sprinter, O'Brien is not short of pace himself and has been very active off his wing for club and country recently. The 27-year-old has the ability to break the line and is good in the air. This will be his toughest night in a green shirt.
Bielle-Biarrey was last year's player of the tournament as he ran in a record eight tries. The 22-year-old has been clocked at 38.4 km/h in training and only needs half a yard to break the line. He has scored 20 tries in his 22 caps and, alongside Dupont, is Les Bleus' main threat to Ireland. Can be unplayable.
MIDFIELD
Garry Ringrose (Leinster, 69 caps) v Nicolas Depoortere (Bordeaux-Begles, 7 caps)
Ringrose, at the age of 31, is something of an elder statesman in the backline with Bundee Aki (suspended) and Robbie Henshaw (injured) not available. Ireland will need all his defensive nous to deal with the many threats of the French attack. His big hits have become a weapon in the aggressive Irish defence over the last couple of seasons and he'll need to be tight in that area.
The French centre helped Bordeaux to the Champions Cup title last season and has scored 14 tries in 18 appearances, with club and country, this season. The 23-year-old is part of the new stock which has seen Gael Fickou deemed surplus to requirements. He has a great understanding in the midfield with club-mate Yoram Moefana.
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster, 23 caps) v Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux-Begles, 36 caps)
McCloskey is another who benefits from Ulster's good form and even if Aki and Henshaw were available, the 33-year-old would be worth his starting shirt. He's well able to truck ball up the middle but has a keen eye for an offload as well. McCloskey has been unlucky with injuries on rare Ireland starts.
Moefana played every minute of last season's victorious campaign and was only second to Antoine Dupont among the French backs for carries (52). The 25-year-old was also at the top end of the charts for offloads, defenders beaten and tackles. Gives away 15kg and almost four inches in height to McCloskey but makes up for it in craft.
HALF-BACKS
Sam Prendergast (Leinster, 13 caps) v Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles, 35 caps)
Prendergast (above) has gotten the nod ahead of Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne and faces his biggest test in the cauldron that is Stade de France. Much has been made of his defensive deficiencies but on the ball he's the best play-maker in the squad. With Ireland expected to be operating off limited possession, they'll need some of that magic.
Jalibert has had to bide his time behind Romain Ntamack (injured) but is arguably the country's in-form out-half. The 27-year-old walked out of the French camp as recently as last November when he was overlooked for the 10 shirt in favour of Ramos, primarily a full-back. He's obviously made up with Galthie and will aim to make life as difficult as possible for his young opponent.
Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster, 46 Irish caps + 3 British and Irish Lions caps) v Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, 59 caps)
Gibson-Park has emerged as one of Ireland's best players over the last four years, his ability to read the game and keep up the necessary tempo has been key for club, country and the Lions. There's a big responsibility on the scrum-half to share the kicking duties with Prendergast.
Simply put, Dupont is the best rugby player in the world and is up there with the best to play the game. Can be impossible to marshall with his all-court game, kicking, defence, offence, running, offloading, support play. The 29-year-old, making his first international appearance since his knee injury suffered against Ireland last season, is a joy to watch.
FRONT ROWS
Thomas Clarkson (Leinster, 10 caps) v Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon, 40 caps)
With Tadhg Furlong nursing a calf injury, Clarkson gets the starting shirt ahead of Finlay Bealham. He has a three kilo advantage over Gros, is useful in open play but there's no disguising the fact that he's up against it. Another who earned a late call-up to the Lions meaning he has Andy Farrell's trust.
Gros, who was part of the U20s side that won back-to-back World Championships in 2018 and 2019, is a solid scrummager and more than adept in the loose, able to sidestep and offload. Was second for dominant tackles in the French list in last season's Six Nations.
Dan Sheehan (Leinster, 35 Irish caps + 3 British and Irish Lions caps) v Julien Marchand (Toulouse, 48 caps)
Sheehan is one of Ireland's most important players. The 27-year-old gets through his work up front and is prolific in the loose when given space. He has 19 international tries to his name, including two from the Lions series win in Australia. Some shared concerns within Ireland's inconsistent lineout and needs his 'A' game tonight.
Preferred ahead of Peato Mauvaka since the autumn, Marchand is a world-class hooker and has scored nine tries in all competitions this season. Does all the basics well.
Jeremy Loughman (Munster, 5 caps) v Dorian Aldegheri (Toulouse, 23 caps)
With Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle all sidelined, it's Loughman (above) who comes in for a first cap since 2024. He faces a formidable battle with his more experienced counterpart. The Kildare man is well able to mix up his game in the loose but will be fully focussed on gaining parity at setpiece.
The absence of first-choice tighthead Uini Atonio, who was forced into retirement due to a heart condition diagnosed only last week, means just a second Six Nations start for Aldegheri. Like Ireland, Galthie has been forced to go deep into his depth chart to fill the front row. A real interesting battle lies ahead against an inexperienced Irish line.
SECOND ROWS
Joe McCarthy (Leinster, 20 Irish caps + 1 British and Irish Lions cap) v Charles Ollivon (Toulon, 48 caps)
McCarthy burst onto the international scene with a storming performance in Marseille two years ago as Ireland won a famous victory. Standing slightly taller than Ollivon, the official stats have him down as 2kg lighter. He was sorely missed by Ireland during the autumn and his ability to get Ireland on the front foot and halt French forward momentum will be vital.
Ollivon stands 6ft 5in and weighs 114kg providing ballast to the French scrum. Formerly a Les Bleus captain, the lock has scored 17 tries for his country, deployed mostly in the back row. There's a tantilising tête-à-tête in store against McCarthy this evening.
Tadhg Beirne (Munster, 70 Irish caps + 5 British and Irish Lions caps) v Mickael Guillard (Lyon, 13 caps)
Beirne has been one of Ireland's most consistent players over the last four years. When he plays well, Ireland usually win. Known for coming up with important plays and unlikely steals, the versatile forward is a firm Farrell favourite. The visitors need the Munster man, Ireland's go-to in the lineout, at his peak tonight.
Guillard is chosen ahead of Emmanuel Meafou, who starts on the bench, and gives away almost 10kg to Beirne. Like his opposite number he can also play on the flank and brings a high workrate and breakdown ability. Scored a try on his debut against New Zealand on the 2025 tour.
BACK ROWS
Cian Prendergast (Connacht, 8 caps) v Francois Cros (Toulouse, 39 caps)
Prendergast (above), after a consistent run of form with Connacht, has earned his start ahead of Jack Conan. A brilliant operator at lineout time, the older brother of out-half Sam brings a measured temperament to the battle. A massive challenge awaits but he has done enough to convince Farrell he's ready for it.
Cros is a breakdown specialist, leading the list for attacking breakdown arrivals for France in last year's Six Nations with 111, while he was also their top tackler with 71. The 31-year-old will look to bring his experience to bear on an opposite number making his first appearance in the championship.
Josh van der Flier (Leinster, 75 caps) v Oscar Jegou (La Rochelle, 9 caps)
Van der Flier, who was unlucky not to earn a Test cap for the Lions last summer, has been Mr Consistent in a green shirt for the last number of years. The 2022 World Rugby player of the year has scored 13 international tries. The Wicklow man gets through a crazy amount of work, both on and off the ball, and topped the Irish attacking breakdown arrivals last season with 118.
Jegou has been deployed across the back row to great effect for Ronan O'Gara's side and is another abrasive back row who featured in the charts for dominant tackles and turnover in last season's championship. The 22-year-old came on as a replacement in last year's win over Ireland, scoring a try in the 42-27 success.
Caelan Doris (Leinster, 55 caps) v Anthony Jelonch (Toulouse, 35 caps)
After missing out on a Lions tour due to shoulder surgery, Doris (above) is returning to his best with club and country. A superb ball-carrier and lineout operator, Doris won most turnovers (6) for Ireland in last year's tournament and was the top carrier among the forwards (48). The 2023 and 2024 champions will need a big showing from the Mayo man this evening.
Another versatile back row, Jelonch is picked at 8 for this game, with La Rochelle's Greg Alldritt omitted from the France squad. The 29-year-old made his debut back in 2017 and, after losing his starting place in last year's Six Nations, started all three of France's November games.
BENCH BOOST
How Michael Milne, who has just two caps, goes will be interesting, while Jack Conan, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley can have game-changing impacts.
Ireland replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley.
Hooker Peato Mauvaka and lock Emmanuel Meafou can bring the punch when introduced.
France replacements: Peato Mauvaka, Rodrigue Neti, Regis Montagne, Hugo Auradou, Emmanuel Meafou, Lenni Nouchi, Baptiste Serin, Kalvin Gourgues.
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