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Ireland make 7 changes to team for France clash

Ireland squad during anthems ahead of Italy game. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Ireland have made seven changes to their starting XV for their Guinness Six Nations clash with France at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, from the side which struggled to a 26-16 win over Italy in round 3.

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Six of those have come in the pack, in the front row Tadhg Furlong is retained at tighthead, however captain Rory Best restored at hooker and Cian Healy comes in at loosehead. Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne and John Ryan are the front row replacements.

There is an all-new second row Iain Henderson and James Ryan replacing the Connacht duo of Ultan Dillane and Quinn Roux, with Roux dropping out of the 23-man squad altogether.

In the backrow Sean O’Brien and Jordi Murphy are also omitted from the squad, with Josh van der Flier chosen at openside, while CJ Stander is at number 8. Backrow cover on the bench is provided by Jack Conan.

In the backline the sole change sees Garry Ringrose named at outside centre, in place of Chris Farrell, who also fails to make the 23.

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Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton get another chance to reclaim some form. John Cooney has fended off Kieran Marmion to provide scrum half cover, while Joey Carbery hasn’t recovered recovered from a hamstring injury which means that Connacht’s Jack Carty has a chance to claim his second cap from the bench. Versatile Leinster back Jordan Larmour is also among the replacements.

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15. Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 89 caps
14. Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster) 75 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) 18 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Galwegians/Connacht) 15 caps
11. Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster) 17 caps
10. Jonathan Sexton (St Marys College/Leinster) 81 caps (vc)
9. Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster) 70 caps

1. Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster) 86 caps
2. Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster) 115 caps (c)
3. Tadhg Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster) 31 caps
4. Iain Henderson (Queens University/Ulster) 43 caps
5. James Ryan (UCD/Leinster) 15 caps
6. Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) 55 caps (vc)
7. Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster) 16 caps
8. CJ Stander (Shannon/Munster) 29 caps

Replacments:
16. Niall Scannell (Dolphin/Munster) 12 caps
17. Dave Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster) 27 caps
18. John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 17 caps
19. Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht) 13 caps
20. Jack Conan (Old Belvedere/Leinster) 12 caps
21. John Cooney (Terenure College/Ulster) 7 caps
22. Jack Carty (Buccaneers/Connacht) 1 cap
23. Jordan Larmour (St Mary’s College/Leinster) 11 caps

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Soliloquin 28 minutes ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

I don’t know the financial story behind the changes that were implemented, but I guess clubs started to lose money, Mourad Boudjellal won it all with Toulon, got tired and wanted to invest in football , the French national team was at its lowest with the QF humiliation in 2015 and the FFR needed to transform the model where no French talent could thrive. Interestingly enough, the JIFF rule came in during the 2009/2010 season, so before the Toulon dynasty, but it was only 40% of the players that to be from trained in French academies. But the crops came a few years later, when they passed it at the current level of 70%.

Again, I’m not a huge fan of under 18 players being scouted and signed. I’d rather have French clubs create sub-academies in French territories like Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia and other places that are culturally closer to RU and geographically closer to rugby lands. Mauvaka, Moefana, Taofifenua bros, Tolofua bros, Falatea - they all came to mainland after starting their rugby adventure back home.

They’re French, they come from economically struggling areas, and rugby can help locally, instead of lumping foreign talents.

And even though many national teams benefit from their players training and playing in France, there are cases where they could avoid trying to get them in the French national team (Tatafu).

In other cases, I feel less shame when the country doesn’t believe in the player like in Meafou’s case.

And there are players that never consider switching to the French national team like Niniashvili, Merckler or even Capuozzo, who is French and doesn’t really speak Italian.

We’ll see with Jacques Willis 🥲


But hey, it’s nothing new to Australia and NZ with PI!

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