INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
Republic of Ireland v France, Tallaght Stadium, 8pm.
TV
Live coverage on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 7.30pm.
RADIO
Live commentary on RTÉ 2fm, with coverage starting on Game On from 6pm.
ONLINE
Live match tracker on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Updates and match footage on RTÉ Soccer Twitter and RTÉ Sport Facebook.
WEATHER
A unsettled day is forecast in Tallaght on Thursday with strong breezes and the likelihood of rain showers come kick-off. Not as warm as it has been in recent weeks with highs of 18c to 20c.
IRELAND LOOKING FOR A WINNING SEND-OFF
With World Cup squad places now settled, the Republic of Ireland have one final tune-up before heading to Australia for the World Cup. They've not taken the easy option of looking for a feel-good victory against a weaker team and instead have opted for a game against one of the best teams in the world.
Ranked fifth in the FIFA World Rankings France will pose a significant challenge for Ireland but it's exactly what Vera Pauw’s charges need to prepare them for a very tough World Cup group.
Ireland go into the game off the back of a 3-2 victory over Zambia. Pauw’s charges looked nervous in that match as some players were perhaps too eager to make an impression to secure their seat on the plane.
With those decisions made, supporters will be hoping for a more confident and composed performance against a French side that will most likely dominate possession at Tallaght.
Whether or not Pauw starts with the side that she’ll name against Australia in Ireland’s World Cup opener is unclear but the odds are that the side that lines up versus France will be very similar to the XI that starts at Stadium Australia in two weeks’ time.
The manager admits that this game is the most important and the biggest test in their World Cup preparation.
Pauw said: "This game was always the most important in our preparation for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 so it was crucial that we secured a top level opponent who would give us the kind of challenge that we need to be familiar with going into the World Cup. France are an excellent team and we are looking forward to this challenge.
"Our preparation, to date, has been excellent. We now need to test ourselves in a high pressure game because we expect France to be physically strong, athletic, quick and superb in both attacking and defending. This is exactly why we chose to play against them, we must be ready for what the best teams will come at us with."
FRANCE AIMING TO PUT MANAGERIAL DRAMA BEHIND THEM
France remain one of the favourites to win the World Cup in Australia despite enduring an unsettled build-up to the tournament.
Having helped to steer Les Bleues to qualification with a perfect record of 10 wins in which they scored 54 goals and conceded just four, manager Corinne Diacre was sacked following a player revolt.
Reports at the time claimed that key players Wendie Renard, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani were among those who threatened to walk away from the squad unless Diacre was replaced, after unrest over the manager's approach to dealing with players.
Much-travelled manager Herve Renard was drafted in to replace Diacre in March, given him just months to prepare France for the World Cup.
Renard oversaw routine friendly wins over Colombia and Canada since taking charge and is hoping that he's done enough to bring a fractured squad back together before the World Cup.
One of the manager's biggest early success was the reintroduction of his namesake Wendie, who had stepped away and had made herself unavailable for selection under Diacre, insisting that she was ready to miss the World Cup. That's is no longer necessary and the Lyon defender is almost certain to lead her side out at the Tallaght Stadium.
Also back in the French squad is Amandine Henry, who made herself unavailable since 2021 after a row with Diacre, but the manager is without striker Katoto and brilliant attack Delphine Cascarino, who are out with knee injuries and miss the World Cup.
France bring a travelling group of 26 to Dublin but must cut that down to 23 for the World Cup. Oriane Jean-François (PSG), Aïssatou Tounkara (Man United) and Mylène Chavas (Bordeaux) are the trio to miss out but they remain on the reserve list, ready to step up in case of any last minute withdrawals.
LES BLEUES NOT TAKING IRELAND FOR GRANTED
Unlike the Zambia game in which Ireland were the favourites, they go into the clash with France as big underdogs and will most likely be forced to defend for long periods of the game.
It's an approach that Pauw's side have become increasingly used to and proficient at, and the perfect perpetration for their World Cup opener against Australia.
Despite their 100% qualifying record, France have shown a vulnerable side in recent times, suffering defeats to Germany and Sweden late last year and drawing 0-0 with Norway in February.
Those results came under the previous regime when morale was on the floor but as mentioned, Renard has had very little time to pick them up.
In terms of approach the new manager has relied upon a 4-3-3 set-up in both of his games in charge, utilising speedy wide players and looking to attack from the flanks at pace.
Ireland's defence looks set for a busy evening with the likes of Kadidiatou Diani and Clara Mateo attacking at pace from out wide, supported by attacking full-backs Sakina Karchaoui and Selma Bacha.
Despite their status as favourites, Renard insists that he is taking nothing for granted against Ireland and draw on his time as Saudi Arabia men's team manager as as example why.
The French boss was in charge of the Saudis when they stunned eventual World Cup winners Argentina in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup and he's eager to see that his side don't suffer a similar fate, either in Ireland or Australia.
"When you are playing a team and you are supposed to be better than this team, you always repeat the same. Be careful," he said.
"We, for example, are playing in Ireland. It will be a difficult game. Concentrate, always respect your opponent. This is a key part of the competition.
"If you do not respect one opponent, and it was maybe what happened against Argentina in the second-half, the football can sometimes be terrible because you think you don't have to run, you just have to put your name on the field.
"But that is not enough in football. In football you always have to fight, you always have to play at your best level to win one game."
Watch Republic of Ireland v France on Thursday night from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on an extended Game On with 2fm
