Live

Highlights on Off The Ball

05:00 PM-12:00 AM

Highlights on Off The Ball
Advertisement

Sport

France make two changes for Ireland game with Thomas on the bench

France have made two changes to their side for Sunday's Six Nations meeting with Ireland at the A...



France have made two changes to their side for Sunday's Six Nations meeting with Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. 

Despite scoring a pair of tries in last week's 50-10 victory over Italy in Rome, there's no room in Fabien Galthie's starting XV for winger Teddy Thomas.

The Racing 92 man drops to the bench, to be replaced by Clermont-Auvergne's Damien Penaud.

Ireland's Munster contingent will be acutely aware of the threat posed by Pernaud, having scored a try for Clermont in December's 39-31 loss to Munster in the Heineken Champions Cup.

The other France change comes in the back row, with Castres flanker Anthony Jelonch taking the place of Dylan Cretin. It was Cretin's try that opened the scoring in Rome last weekend. 

"Teddy played a very good game in Rome but Damian and (fellow winger) Gabin Villiere are better to handle high balls and the pressure the Irish will put on the wings," Galthie said of his selection.

"Anthony Jelonch is a player who gets better as the intensity increases. The harder it gets, the better he gets."

The France head coach wished the injured Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray well, and addressed the inclusions of Billy Burns and Jamison Gibson-Park.

"The replacements are the ones who finished the game in Wales.

"The scrum-half doesn't have the same profile as Murray but his kicking game is very accurate. He's very dangerous, we'll have to be wary of him around the rucks."

France team v Ireland: 

15. Brice Dulin (La Rochelle, 32 caps)
14. Damian Penaud (Clermont Auvergne, 18 caps)
13. Arthur Vincent (Montpellier, 8 caps)
12. Gaël Fickou (Stade Français, 59 caps)
11. Gabin Villière (Toulon, 3 caps)
10. Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Bègles, 9 caps)
9. Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, 28 caps)

1. Cyril Baille (Toulouse, 24 caps)
2. Julien Marchand (Toulouse, 10 caps)
3. Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier, 8 caps)
4. Bernard Le Roux (Racing 92, 45 caps)
5. Paul Willemse (Montpellier, 13 caps)
6. Anthony Jelonch (Castres Olympique, 5 caps)
7. Charles Ollivon (Toulon, 19 caps) – captain
8. Grégory Alldritt (La Rochelle, 19 caps)

Replacements:
16. Pierre Bourgarit (La Rochelle, 4 caps)
17. Hassane Kolingar (Racing 92, 2 caps)
18. Uini Atonio (La Rochelle, 34 caps)
19. Romain Taofifenua (Toulon, 21 caps)
20. Dylan Cretin (Lyon, 6 caps)
21. Baptiste Serin (Toulon, 40 caps)
22. Anthony Bouthier (Montpellier, 6 caps)
23. Teddy Thomas (Racing 92, 23 caps)

Team of Us. Everyone In.

Vodafone. The main sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team

Ronan O’Gara has impressed France rugby icon with La Rochelle

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

Antoine Dupont Fabien Galthie France Ireland Six Nations Teddy Thomas