Six Nations Championship: Ireland Under-20 v France Under-20, Tuesday July 13th, Cardiff Arms Park (kick-off 4.45pm, RTÉ 2)
Ireland head coach Richie Murphy has made seven changes and two positional switches to the team that beat Italy for their final match in the Six Nations Championship in which they will in all likelihood dispute second spot in the tournament with Tuesday evening's opponents, France.
England, who inflicted the only defeats on Ireland and France respectively, should complete the Grand Slam against Italy, a match that precedes the Irish game.
Ben Moxham reclaims his place on the right wing, while arguably Ireland's outstanding back in the competition, Connacht's Cathal Forde, returns to inside centre. Shane Jennings is back in the starting XV, this time on the left wing, having previously played in the midfield; Jude Postlethwaite deserved to retain his place there. Nathan Doak shifts from scrumhalf to outhalf with Conor McKee wearing the number nine jersey.
Up front loosehead prop Temi Lasisi and hooker Ronan Loughnane rejoin Sam Illo in the frontrow while captain Alex Kendellen moves back to number eight with another standout player, openside flanker Oisin McCormack, back following injury.
It's a tribute to talent but also a testament to the mental and physical resilience that players like Jamie Osborne, Illo, Harry Sheridan, Alexis Soroka and Kendellen, have carried a huge workload through the tournament and been hugely influential in Ireland's performances to date.
French coach Phillipe Boher has made nine changes to the side that beat Scotland 45-21 in the last match, seven of which are up front. One player who is unfortunately absent is French captain Joshua Brennan, a son of former Leinster, Toulouse and Ireland international Trevor; the promising secondrow has not played since picking up a knee injury in the opening game of the tournament.
France led England 19-3 at the interval in that game before succumbing 38-22, and went on to fortuitously squeeze past Italy 13-11 before beating Wales 36-19.
Scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec, centre Leo Barre, free scoring wing Nelson Epee and fullback Alexandre Tchaptchet will cause Ireland problems if offered a scintilla of room. There is no shortage of heft up front with Matthias Haddad a key figure in the French pack.
Ireland have shown flashes both individually and collectively of what this group can accomplish when focused and that represents the challenge; to be accurate and composed for long enough to eke out one final victory.
