With a fair wind, back-to-strength Ireland can sink France

Joe Schmidt knows his side have to win this one, and now he’s got the team that can do it

Rugby stats: Ireland don’t need to try too hard to beat the French

Rugby statistics: Once a staple of Paris trips, touchdowns are now thin on the ground

Six Nations: Ireland v France - France player profiles

Patrick Madden profiles France as they go unchanged for the first time since 2012

Unchanged French side slightly unnerving for Ireland

First France coach to name the same team for successive Tests since 2012

France stick with the same team that beat Scotland

Jacques Brunel has retained the same French matchday 23 for the trip to Dublin

No shortage of advice for Brunel as he juggles his options again

Critics claim France coach’s chopping and changing means he is unsure of his best backline

Weakened Scotland bidding to expose self-belief of unpredictable France

Townsend’s team in with a decent shout of pulling off a first victory in Paris since 1999

Jacques Brunel and France turn to youth for visit of Scotland

Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack in the halfbacks with Parra and Lopez dropped

Six Nations 2019: Brunel and France looking for youthful revival

Les Bleus endured a torrid 2018 but can call on exciting crop of junior world champions

Romain Ntamack selected to make France debut against Wales

Jacques Brunel names 19-year-old at inside centre with Mathieu Bastareaud excluded

European Rugby Previews

Forward power can help Castres pip Exeter in one of weekend’s most intriguing ties

Connacht's cutting of Sevu Reece shows social media sets the agenda

Sevu Reece case show Twitter and Instagram are final judges of a player’s moral standing

New Zealand take advantage of questionable yellow to blow France away

All Blacks ran in three tries while France lock Paul Gabrillagues was sin-binned

Gerry Thornley: Results have vindicated increased use of TMOs

Analysis of video replays has ensured many more correct decisions than wrong ones

England rugby player gets four-week ban over ‘homophobic slur’

Denny Solomona banned for four weeks after being found guilty of alleged slur

Gordon D’Arcy: Attitude and discipline key to Munster

Multitalented Toulon relaxed for one vital moment and Conway made them pay

Drama kings Munster complete another white-knuckle ride

Conor Murray and Andrew Conway score tries with Munster six points adrift of Toulon

Toulon rue failure to turn Thomond dominance into points

Bastareaud : ‘We had a lot of opportunities and errors with the ball’

Munster’s giant slayers win epic battle with Toulon

Stunning late Andrew Conway try seals place in Champions Cup semi-finals for Munster

Only Munster's best will do against Toulon's galacticos

Province’s collective effort may need to add to more than the individual parts to foil French giants

Liam Toland: Negating Bastareaud’s threat simply an imperative for Munster

Toulon centre’s ability to wreak havoc must be curbed if home side are to prevail

Sale’s Denny Solomona charged with ‘homophobic’ abuse

Worcester outhalf Jamie Shillock told referee two homophobic slurs were aimed at him

Memories of past failures a huge spur for Peter O’Mahony

Munster captain and his side braced for a focused Toulon’s visit to Thomond Park

Gerry Thornley: Irish seasons hinge on this European quarter-final weekend

Playing at home is a massive advantage as Leinster, Munster and Connacht go forth

Rugby Stats: Irish numbers stack up individually and collectively

Schmidt’s players top a host of categories at the end of a phenomenal 12 months

Eddie Jones says England going through ‘tough period’ after French loss

‘We are a rugby team and no rugby team has an aura of invincibility about them’

Eddie Jones looking for the appropriate response from England

After the loss to Scotland, coach expects his side to show their character in Paris

France get off the mark as they stretch clear of desperate Italy

Les Bleus show green shoots of recovery as Azzuri’s miserable Championship continues

Conor O’Shea sees France encounter as a ‘new opportunity’ for Italy

Coach says side have learned from their mistakes in losses to Ireland and England

Brunel praises Bastereaud as he changes backline for Italy clash

‘It seems like he has reached a new dimension since he was named captain at Toulon’

Scotland name unchanged team for Calcutta Cup clash

France have added fresh blood to their outside backs for their game against Italy

Thomas among nine France players dropped for ‘inappropriate behaviour’

FFR says they ‘did not respect their status as international players’ after Scotland defeat

Johnny Sexton likely to be targeted again by France

Joe Schmidt hopes new coach Jacques Brunel will not resort to usual Les Bleus tactics

Can Jacques Brunel fix France’s ‘mess’ before Ireland clash?

Les Bleus enter contest on back of seven winless matches but are boosted by new coach

Morgan Parra recalled to youthful France Six Nations squad

Jacques Brunel names six uncapped players in 32-man selection

Mathieu Bastareaud set to miss France’s game against Ireland

Toulon centre hit with three-week ban for verbal abuse against Benetton player

EPCR investigating controversial Boudjellal claims

‘What I fear is the Mormon side of the EPCR with the Welsh and the Irish’

Rugby on a slippery slope from moral high ground

Indiscipline is on the rise in the “gentleman’s” game

Bastareaud and Haskell cited after weekend incidents

French centre faces verbal abuse charge while England backrow charged over dangerous tackle

Wales' Six Nations hopes hit by Taulupe Faletau injury

Faletau out for three or four months with knee ligament injury; Warburton also out

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