France v Ireland 4.45pm Sat 3rd February 2018

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Didn't see the Ryan call coming at all. If true then I suppose it does make tactical sense, his carrying is much better than Dev's and for all the unknowns with this French team, the one thing we do know is that they'll have a big powerful pack that would be likely to smash Dev back a few times or that he'd struggle to shift off the ball. I think he's been in great form though (bar one game recently, can't remember which one) so very surprised that he's left out now. Great show of faith in Ryan but everything he's shown so far suggests that he'd repay it. A pissed off Dev going bananas for 20-30 minutes could a great asset off the bench too.

As an impact sub I think Leavy could be brilliant and I'll be delighted that he's involved, but if Stander gets injured then suddenly we lack carriers and a proper number 8 in the back row. Not a risk that I would take.

[El Diablo]

ROC/Indo saying Healy, Ryan, JVDF to start
Cronin, Toner, Leavy on bench, no word on no 23

Much to Joe's chargrin I do not agree with the Toner/Ryan call at all at all. Wouldve preferred Murphy over Leavy too

Thats what I am hearing as well. No surprises in the backs Carbery & Conway on the bench.
Conan must be gutted. He cant have done much more over the last 2 years and he is not in the match day 23!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm guessing Earls is covering centre? There's no ideal situation but I wouldn't like to see that happen. Not sure when Stockdale last played there.

[simonokeeffe]

ROC/Indo saying Healy, Ryan, JVDF to start
Cronin, Toner, Leavy on bench, no word on no 23

Much to Joe's chargrin I do not agree with the Toner/Ryan call at all at all. Wouldve preferred Murphy over Leavy too

Thats what I am hearing as well. No surprises in the backs Carbery & Conway on the bench.
Conan must be gutted. He cant have done much more over the last 2 years and he is not in the match day 23!

Have seen one article saying Luke McGrath makes the bench

[El Diablo]

ROC/Indo saying Healy, Ryan, JVDF to start
Cronin, Toner, Leavy on bench, no word on no 23

Much to Joe's chargrin I do not agree with the Toner/Ryan call at all at all. Wouldve preferred Murphy over Leavy too

Thats what I am hearing as well. No surprises in the backs Carbery & Conway on the bench.
Conan must be gutted. He cant have done much more over the last 2 years and he is not in the match day 23!

Have seen one article saying Luke McGrath makes the bench

thats what I am hearing. John Ryan is the replacement tight head.

[simonokeeffe]

McGrath makes sense as hes in better form, Id have gone with JGP myself obviously , than Marmion and hes closer to Murrays style if not ability

Ryan is more a case of proven ability. We might see Porter for a home game or two though

[CiaranIrl]

I think Toner would have been the better call, personally. A scratch team like France will field is likely to rely on the maul for go forward ball. There's no better second row in the northern hemisphere at disrupting mauls than Toner. Ryan would also be a much more impactful sub. For me, Toner starts or shouldn't be in the 23. All the other second rows can change a game - Henderson, Ryan, Dillane - ever Roux.

[Peg Leg]

I think Toner would have been the better call, personally. A scratch team like France will field is likely to rely on the maul for go forward ball. There's no better second row in the northern hemisphere at disrupting mauls than Toner. Ryan would also be a much more impactful sub. For me, Toner starts or shouldn't be in the 23. All the other second rows can change a game - Henderson, Ryan, Dillane - ever Roux.

If it's lineout disruption you're after, POM is your man. Hendo and Ryan are both capable maul managers.
Its not a good call for me, but i can see the logic. The biggest loss for me in that first 60 mins is Dev's hands.

[neiliog93]

1.Healy vs 3.Slimani
2.Best vs 2.Guirado
3.Furlong vs 1.Poirot
4.Henderson vs 5.Iturria
5.Ja.Ryan vs 4.Vahamahina
6.POM vs 6.Makalou
7.VDF vs 7.Camara
8.Stander vs 8.Gourdon

9.Murray vs 9.Machenaud
10.Sexton vs 10.Jallibert
11.Stockdale vs 14.Thomas
12.Aki vs 12.Doumayrou
13.Henshaw vs 13.Lamerat
14.Earls vs 11.Vakatawa
15.R.Kearney vs 15.Palis

16.S.Cronin vs 16.Pelissié
17.J.McGrath vs 18.Gomes Ca
18.Jo.Ryan vs. 17.Priso/Ben Arous
19.Toner vs 19.Lambey
20.Leavy vs 20.Tauleigne
21.L.McGrath vs 21.Dupont
22.Carbery vs 22.Belleau
23.Conway vs 23.Fall

Something like that (gleaned from newspapers)?

[simonokeeffe]

We have the better and more swashbuckling backline

[neiliog93]

Yeah, I agree. The line out is a potential worry sans Toner. Makalou and Camara are both very athletic and in the 6'5" range in the back row, while Gourdon is relatively light and also a noted line out option, almost in the Bonnaire mould (not as good) but with better breakdown work. Iturria is another light second row, well suited to being lifted. Vahamahina is 125 kg+, but then he's 6'8", so the weight issue is partially offset by his height. They could exert serious pressure here.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I think Toner would have been the better call, personally. A scratch team like France will field is likely to rely on the maul for go forward ball. There's no better second row in the northern hemisphere at disrupting mauls than Toner. Ryan would also be a much more impactful sub. For me, Toner starts or shouldn't be in the 23. All the other second rows can change a game - Henderson, Ryan, Dillane - ever Roux.

Henderson is very good at that too and our lineout defence was pretty sh!t in Montpellier with Dev there, although I know Ryan started too. If I remember correctly Dev was great when he came on against England last year. There are plenty of impact subs on our bench anyway, we might just need Dev to be solid and experienced.

[arsebiscuits1]

I'm guessing Earls is covering centre? There's no ideal situation but I wouldn't like to see that happen. Not sure when Stockdale last played there.

`
Yeah likely to be Earls

Stockdale played there last season as a starter and I think has slotted over a couple of times this season.

I think if Joe viewed him as a centre, he'd have put him in the 13 channel over Adam Byrne in November

[CiaranIrl]

Irish Times team has McFadden at 23, but otherwise the same as the Indo. Has Marmion, not McGrath incidentally.

[simonokeeffe]

Irish Times team has McFadden at 23, but otherwise the same as the Indo. Has Marmion, not McGrath incidentally.

IIRC same sort of discrepencies in the Autumn
They must run more contingencies in training with the subs than starters

[jimbobjoe]

France team named:

France (v Ireland): 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 8 Kevin Gourdon, 7 Yacouba Camara, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Arthur Iturria, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (cap), 1 Jefferson Poirot

Replacements: 16 Adrien Pelissie, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Cedate Gomes Sa, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Marco Tauleigne, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 Benjamin Fall

[Oldschool]

France team named:

France (v Ireland): 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 8 Kevin Gourdon, 7 Yacouba Camara, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Arthur Iturria, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (cap), 1 Jefferson Poirot

Replacements: 16 Adrien Pelissie, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Cedate Gomes Sa, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Marco Tauleigne, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 Benjamin Fall

Lamerat is a handfull.
It's possible that even if Ringrose was fit that Aki and Henshaw would still get the nod.

[simonokeeffe]

France team named:

France (v Ireland): 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Remi Lamerat, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Virimi Vakatawa, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Machenaud; 8 Kevin Gourdon, 7 Yacouba Camara, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Sebastien Vahaamahina, 4 Arthur Iturria, 3 Rabah Slimani, 2 Guilhem Guirado (cap), 1 Jefferson Poirot

Replacements: 16 Adrien Pelissie, 17 Dany Priso, 18 Cedate Gomes Sa, 19 Paul Gabrillagues, 20 Marco Tauleigne, 21 Antoine Dupont, 22 Anthony Belleau, 23 Benjamin Fall

Lamerat is a handfull.
It's possible that even if Ringrose was fit that Aki and Henshaw would still get the nod.

Henshaw has been a little suspect in defence at 13 especially on his inside shoulder, hes thrown up a fair few one armed half asked tackles, at least in his first few games at 13 this season

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Glad Dupont isn't starting, think he could cause us problems even if the rest of the team isn't functioning. Still worried about what he could do off the bench though.

So hard to know how they'll perform but there's huge talent in that team.

[simonokeeffe]

Glad Dupont isn't starting, think he could cause us problems even if the rest of the team isn't functioning. Still worried about what he could do off the bench though.

So hard to know how they'll perform but there's huge talent in that team.

Think Im right in saying their bench is very inexperienced at this level. Toner probably has more caps than their subs combined, and is angrier