The standout fixture of the 2023 Six Nations takes place in Dublin on Saturday as Ireland entertain defending Grand Slam champions France in what has been touted as an early title decider.
The world's top-two ranked sides both enjoyed victorious starts to their campaigns last week, but will have seen weaknesses in each other's performances which they will hope to exploit at the Aviva Stadium.
Match preview
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The return of serial Six Nations winner Warren Gatland as Wales coach meant that Ireland could not afford to let their minds wander to this titanic tussle on week two heading into last weekend's opener, although it may not have taken long for Andy Farrell's men to begin thinking about this visit of France.
Tries from Caelan Doris and James Ryan put Ireland 14-0 up within 10 minutes in Cardiff, and they were 27-3 to the good inside half an hour as Wales got their new era off to a sluggish start.
A more even second half saw Ireland's blistering beginning to the tournament slowed, yet they still ran out 34-10 winners in the end for their biggest Six Nations win in Cardiff since 2001, and crucially a bonus-point triumph.
It was the first time that Ireland had scored four tries away to Wales in the competition since 1991, yet there were still plenty of elements which Farrell will be keen to improve upon.
Indeed, Wales failed to make the most of a few chances to put more points on the board, and Ireland may not find France quite as forgiving when it comes to a cutting edge in the opposition 22.
That said, while France are favourites for World Cup glory on home soil this year, it is Ireland who are favourites to win the Six Nations and to win this game, thanks largely to having this mouth-watering showdown in their own backyard.
Farrell's side have now won each of their last 12 home games, and another victory this weekend would see them set a new national record of 13 on the bounce, although it is worth noting that France were the last team to beat them in Dublin - doing so in the 2021 Six Nations.
Even so, Ireland's longer record of 21 wins from their last 22 home games is a formidable one which should pose a serious threat to France's own record winning run of 14 Tests on the bounce.
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That winning run came under a less-predictable threat just last week when Italy ran Les Bleus all the way in Rome, leading inside the final 20 minutes before France ultimately recovered to edge to a 29-24 victory.
Italy had their chances to record a famous triumph even after Matthieu Jailbert's try, though, earning three late penalties which yielded zero points in the closing stages of the match.
Indeed, that the Azzurri got so close to pulling off one of the all-time great Six Nations upsets was largely down to penalties, with France conceding a whopping 18 throughout the match - a very un-Shaun Edwards-like tally and one France have not surpassed in a game in this tournament for 20 years.
Italy conceded 11 penalties fewer than their visitors - one of the biggest penalty differentials ever seen in a Six Nations match - and if the same happens in Dublin then it would take a miraculous attacking performance to counteract that.
The importance of France improving their discipline is further underlined by the fact that four of their last five wins have been by margins of just five points or fewer, meaning that one penalty leading to a try or converted kick could spell the end of their unprecedented winning run.
Of course, the other way of looking at such a record is that France know how to grind out victories in tight matches, and Dublin will hold no fear for them having triumphed there on their last visit two years ago - albeit behind closed doors.
Ireland have won 18 of their last 20 matches themselves, though, and if they are able to exploit any French ill-discipline then they could well become the first team since Scotland in March 2021 to beat Les Bleus.
The lineout may also be a particular area that Ireland look to target having enjoyed a 100% success rate and stolen three opposition throws last weekend, while only Wales had a lower success rate on their throw than Fabien Galthie's side.
Ireland Six Nations form:
- W
France Six Nations form:
- W
Team News
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Johnny Sexton will be hoping to capitalise on any more penalties given away by France with just 15 points now separating him from leapfrogging his predecessor Ronan O'Gara as the top points-scorer in Six Nations history.
The captain will start again at number 10 in an unchanged backline for Ireland, with Farrell's only change being an enforced one in the front row.
Dan Sheehan was injured in Cardiff and so is replaced at hooker by Rob Herring, opening the door for Ronan Kelleher to come into the squad on the bench too.
Andrew Porter and James Ryan will both earn their 50th caps for Ireland in the pack, while Dave Kilcoyne will also reach that milestone if he makes it onto the pitch.
Tadhg Furlong, Jamison Gibson-Park and Cian Healy all remain absent for the hosts.
France, meanwhile, have named the same starting XV to the one which triumphed in Rome last weekend, with the only changes coming amongst the replacements.
Francois Cros and Baptiste Couilloud are both back available after injuries and take the places of Thomas Lavault and Nolann Le Garrec, both of whom were unused subs in Rome.
Antoine Dupont will again captain the side from scrum-half, while Ethan Dumortier will hope to build on his try-scoring debut last weekend having now touched down 12 times in his last 13 matches for club and country.
Ireland starting lineup:
15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 James Lowe, 10 Johnny Sexton (c), 9 Conor Murray; 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Rob Herring, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Dave Kilcoyne, 18 Tom O'Toole, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Bundee Aki
France starting lineup:
15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Ethan Dumortier, 10 Romain Ntamack, 9 Antoine Dupont (c); 1 Cyril Baille, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Uini Atonio, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Paul Willemse, 6 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Charles Ollivon, 8 Gregory Alldritt
Replacements: 16 Gaetan Barlot, 17 Reda Wardi, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 François Cros, 21 Sekou Macalou, 22 Baptiste Couilloud, 23 Matthieu Jalibert
Head To Head
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Just as it has been tipped to be this season, last year's meeting between these two sides ultimately proved to be the title decider, and it was one France won 30-24 in Paris.
That was Les Bleus' third successive win against Ireland, having won just one of their previous nine meetings before that, and their current run includes a 15-13 victory on their last trip to Dublin, meaning that Ireland are winless in this fixture since 2019.
France have only ever won back-to-back away games against Ireland once before - in 2005 and 2007 - but they have won away to Ireland in six of the previous nine Rugby World Cup years.
Overall, France lead the head to head with 59 wins to Ireland's 35, with 12 French wins, nine Ireland triumphs and two draws coming in the Six Nations era.
We say: Ireland 25-21 France
The three away sides all secured bonus-point wins for the first time in Six Nations history last weekend, but we can see that away glory coming to an end in Dublin.
It is a tantalising showdown between the best two teams in the world, both of whom are on record winning runs and are expected to put in improved showings from the opening weekend.
For France to raise their level - both in terms of performance and discipline - enough from the Italy scare to beat Ireland away looks like a tough ask, though, whereas Ireland had their match against Wales won inside half an hour in Cardiff.
The last three meetings have all gone the way of France, but all by single-figure margins, while France's recent victories have been narrow ones too, so we can see Ireland finally ending the visitors' long winning run in what is sure to be a fiercely-contested showdown.
Barney Corkhill
