Andy Farrell’s Ireland will face one of their toughest challenges when they travel to Paris for Thursday evening’s Six Nations opener against France at the Stade de France. The Irish head coach has revealed his 23-man squad for this crucial encounter, scheduled for 21 :00 on Thursday, February 6th, with several notable selections and enforced changes due to injuries throughout the squad. The match has been brought forward to Thursday as the opening ceremony for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics takes place on Friday evening.
Forced changes across the backline
The Irish backline shows significant alterations from their usual configuration, primarily due to injury concerns that have depleted Farrell’s options. Jamie Osborne will wear the number 15 jersey, stepping into the full-back position following Hugo Keenan’s unfortunate thumb fracture sustained during the opening training session in Portugal last week. Keenan, who has earned 46 caps for Ireland, will miss this pivotal fixture against Les Bleus.
The centre pairing presents particular interest, with Garry Ringrose and Stuart McCloskey selected to form the midfield combination. Ringrose brings vast experience with 69 international caps, making him the most capped player in this Irish XV. The partnership with McCloskey was last seen during Ireland’s autumn defeat to New Zealand. This selection has been necessitated by the absence of Robbie Henshaw, sidelined with a knee injury, and Bundee Aki, excluded from the squad due to disciplinary reasons. On the wings, Jacob Stockdale and Jimmy O’Brien will provide pace and attacking threat, with James Lowe notably absent despite featuring for Leinster last week against Connacht.
Prendergast brothers feature in starting fifteen
The half-back combination sees Sam Prendergast confirmed at fly-half, partnering with the reliable Jamison Gibson-Park at scrum-half. Whilst Harry Byrne had been discussed as a potential starter, Prendergast’s selection aligns with expectations. This will mark only his third start in nine international appearances for the 22-year-old playmaker, representing a significant opportunity on rugby’s biggest stage.
In a remarkable family story, Sam will play alongside his older brother Cian Prendergast, who earns a starting berth in the back row. Cian will pack down at blindside flanker, joining captain Caelan Doris at number eight and Josh van der Flier at openside. This back-row configuration sees Cian replacing the injured Ryan Baird, forming a balanced and experienced unit with Doris and van der Flier, two established pillars of Irish rugby.
| Position | Player | Caps |
|---|---|---|
| Fly-half | Sam Prendergast | 9 |
| Scrum-half | Jamison Gibson-Park | 45+ |
| Blindside flanker | Cian Prendergast | 12 |
Front-row crisis forces unexpected selections
The most striking selections come in the front row, where Ireland has been decimated by injuries at loosehead prop. Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle are all unavailable, creating a genuine selection crisis for Farrell. This situation has led to the recall of Munster’s Jeremy Loughman, who will earn only his sixth cap and just his second start in the green jersey.
Loughman’s international experience remains limited, with his last appearance dating back to November 2022 against Fiji in an autumn international. Despite being a regular starter for Munster, he remains relatively unknown on the international stage. He will pack down alongside Dan Sheehan at hooker and Tom Clarkson at tighthead prop. Sheehan, with 35 caps to his name, provides essential experience in what is otherwise an inexperienced front row for such a high-stakes encounter.
The second row features the established partnership of Tadhg Beirne and Joe McCarthy, offering solidity and lineout expertise. This combination has proven effective previously and provides much-needed continuity in the tight five, particularly given the enforced changes elsewhere in the pack.
Impact options from the bench
Ireland’s replacements bench offers quality reinforcement across all positions. The forward replacements include :
- Ronan Kelleher at hooker, providing fresh legs in the final quarter
- Tom Milne and Finlay Bealham as prop cover, addressing the depth concerns
- James Ryan adding second-row experience and leadership
- Jack Conan and Nick Timoney bringing back-row versatility
Among the backs, Craig Casey provides scrum-half cover, whilst Jack Crowley offers options at fly-half and full-back. This versatile bench selection gives Farrell tactical flexibility as the match progresses, allowing him to adjust his approach depending on how the contest unfolds at the Stade de France.
The challenge facing Ireland cannot be understated. Playing away against France in Paris represents one of rugby’s most daunting assignments, and doing so with multiple key players absent adds another layer of difficulty. However, this presents opportunities for fringe players to establish themselves, with Loughman, Osborne and Sam Prendergast all capable of making significant statements with strong performances against Antoine Dupont’s France.
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