Eddie O’Sullivan has named his Ireland squad for Saturday week’s final Six Nations game against France in Paris. Captain Keith Wood has been included in the 24-man party and, barring any further injury setbacks, is expected to be fit to play in the Stade de France.
The Harlequins hooker has missed Ireland’s entire Six Nations campaign to date, first with a torn calf muscle and more recently with back problems. However, Wood has been involved in full training with Quins this week and his club are hopeful he will start in Saturday’s Zurich Premiership tie with Bristol.
Ireland, who have beaten the French on the last two occasions the sides met, will finish in second place should they emerge victorious from the Stade de France.
That result would relegate the French to third in the table with England, by virtue of their superior points difference, successfully defending their Six Nations title.
Eddie O’Sullivan will announce his starting line-up next Tuesday when the squad will also be pared down to 22 players.
Bernard Laporte is expected to keep faith with the players who turned in their fourth win of the Six Nations campaign against Scotland on Saturday and name an unchanged side to face the Irish.
Les Bleus can claim the Grand Slam, their first since the tournament became the Six Nations in 2000, if they overcome Ireland and Laporte, according to team manager Joe Maso, is not intending to amend his starting line-up.
That would mean no recall for barnstorming prop Peter De Villiers, who missed the win at Murrayfield, although the South African-born front-row is named in the French squad. Teenage full-back Clement Poitrenaud, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on May 20th, is also included in the initial 26-man French squad.
"The team is the same as it was against Scotland," said France team manager Joe Maso.
"We wanted to show respect for those players who won that game. Our final match against Ireland is the most important because it gives us the opportunity to clinch the Grand Slam for the first time [since 1998, still the Five Nations].
"It would be the cherry on the cake and a great reward for the players who have been working really hard for the past two years."
The Irish management earlier named the Under 21 team to start in France on April 5th and it will be unchanged from the side that crushed Italy in Galway on Friday last.
Ciaran Fitzgerald's charges, who clinched a place in next year’s World Cup with the 60-14 result at the Sportsground, have made just one switch to the squad with Jody Danagher of UL Bohemians replacing injured Saracens prop Sean Philips on the bench.
Matt McCullough will once again captain the side.
Ireland Squad:
Forwards: Shane Byrne (Leinster), Peter Clohessy (Munster), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Anthony Foley (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Gary Longwell (Ulster), Eric Miller (Leinster), Paul O'Connell (Munster), Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster), Frank Sheahan (Munster), David Wallace (Munster), Paul Wallace (Leinster), Keith Wood (Harlequins).
Backs: Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), Guy Easterby (Llanelli), Rob Henderson (Munster), Denis Hickie (Leinster), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Tyrone Howe (Ulster), David Humphreys (Ulster), John Kelly (Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Peter Stringer (Munster).
France Squad:
Forwards: Jean-Jacques Crenca (Agen), Pieter De Villiers (Stade Francais), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Francais), Jean-Baptiste Poux (Narbonne), Raphael Ibanez (Castres), Olivier Azam (Gloucester), Olivier Brouzet (Northampton), Fabien Pelous (Stade Toulousain), Thibault Privat (Beziers), David Auradou (Stade Francais), Serge Betsen (Biarritz), Imanol Harinordoquy (Pau), Olivier Magne (Montferrand), Remy Martin (Stade Francais).
Backs: Fabien Galthie (Stade Francais, captain), Pierre Mignoni (Beziers), David Bory (Montferrand), Gerald Merceron (Montferrand), Francois Gelez (Agen), Damien Traille (Pau), Tony Marsh (Montferrand), Aurelien Rougerie (Montferrand), Jimmy Marlu (Montferrand), Nicolas Brusque (Biarritz), Stephane Glas (Bourgoin), Clement Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain).
- The French starting XV from Murrayfield was as follows:
Brusque; Rougerie, Marsh, Traille, Bory; Merceron, Galthie (capt); Crenca, Ibanez, Poux, Pelous, Brouzet, Betsen, Magne , Harinordoquy.
Ireland A Squad
Forwards: Simon Best (Ulster), Bob Casey (Leinster), Reggie Corrigan (Leinster), Victor Costello (Leinster), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Keith Gleeson (Leinster), Gavin Hickie (Leinster), Marcus Horan (Munster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), AN Other, Paul Shields (Ulster), Alan Quinlan (Munster), Andy Ward (Ulster).
Backs: Paul Burke (Harlequins), Gordon Darcy (Leinster), Neil Doak (Ulster), Jason Holland (Munster), Anthony Horgan (Munster), Mike Mullins (Munster), Brian O'Meara (Leinster), AN Other, Jeremy Staunton (Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster).
The AN Other vacancies in the A squad will be filled when the team is announced on Tuesday, April 2nd.
Ireland U-21 Squad:S Young, M McPhail, G Duffy, C O'Sullivan, C McPhilips, E Hickey, B O'Riordan; J Lyne, K Corrigan, B Young, S Keogh, M McCullough (capt), D Leamy, N McMillan, R Wilson. Replacements: R Best, J Danagher, M Carroll, C Hartigan, F Murphy, B Lynn, J Norton.
