Ireland Out To Stop 'darting Fish' Dupont And France

ByMatt Gault

BBC Sport NI elder journalist successful Paris

Six Nations: France v Ireland

Venue: Stade de France, Paris Date: Thursday, 5 February Kick-off: 20:10 GMT

Coverage: Listen unrecorded connected BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds & Radio Ulster; matter commentary and highlights connected BBC Sport website and app; watch connected ITV1

On nan eve of nan Six Nations, Ireland skipper Caelan Doris utilized an amusing affinity to picture nan world's champion subordinate and item 1 of nan myriad of challenges facing his broadside successful Thursday's Stade de France tourney opener.

Asked astir returning France skipper Antoine Dupont, Doris described nan famously elusive scrum-half arsenic "one of those small food you effort to touch and they dart distant from you".

"He's done maine respective times," admitted Doris.

"I tin deliberation of 1 peculiar lawsuit successful 2023 wherever I consciousness I person him coming up 1 broadside of nan breakdown and past he twirls and goes astir maine and thumps 3 defenders connected nan different side."

Doris and Ireland tin only dream that Dupont, backmost from a spell connected nan sidelines caused by a collision pinch Irish players past year, isn't truthful slippery connected Thursday.

The Toulouse prima is nan heartbeat of a French onslaught that could dent Ireland's title hopes again.

In Dublin past year, not moreover Dupont's withdrawal aft 30 minutes could extremity a rampant French broadside from ripping Ireland to shreds pinch 34 unanswered second-half points.

It was a haunting day for those successful green, and moreover though Doris cautiously sidestepped a mobility astir seeking "revenge", Ireland's pre-tournament headaches would make triumph successful Paris 1 of nan much improbable achievements nether caput coach Andy Farrell.

To avenge past year's mauling, Ireland must move past preparations that were deed by wounded and disciplinary issues and summon nan type of mettlesome, high-intensity show that led them to triumph complete South Africa successful this stadium astatine nan World Cup.

And fixed that France scored a grounds 30 Six Nations tries past year, Farrell's broadside will beryllium required to use scoreboard unit from nan outset.

To help, Farrell has turned to Jacob Stockdale, who intends to recapture nan headline-hogging shape of 2018 erstwhile his record-breaking seven-try haul earned him nan subordinate of nan tourney grant successful Ireland's Grand Slam campaign.

While he has predominantly played full-back for Ulster this season, Stockdale has edged retired James Lowe to commencement connected nan near helping successful what will beryllium his first Six Nations quality since 2021.

Stockdale coming up against accelerated Bordeaux helping Louis Bielle-Biarrey - nan man who collapsed his try-scoring grounds past twelvemonth - will beryllium an intriguing sub-plot and a terrible introspection of nan Ireland player's defence.

On nan try-scoring front, Ireland could do pinch Dan Sheehan carrying his 2025 shape into nan French superior and a large effort from their bench.

Leinster hooker Sheehan scored 5 times successful past year's tourney and was besides connected target successful Ireland's triumph complete France successful Marseille successful 2024, while replacement backmost statement Jack Conan will dream to emulate past year's tries against Scotland and France aft being introduced.

As ever successful nan Test arena, location will beryllium overmuch attraction connected nan 2 fly-halves.

For Ireland, Sam Prendergast will again commencement nan Six Nations astatine 10 aft opening past year's run pinch nan shirt.

A slick usability pinch shot successful hand, Prendergast has nan passing and imagination to unfastened up nan French defence, but his ain protect frailties person been nether nan microscope it seems since France's Paul Boudehent ran done his attempted tackle past year.

But nan 22-year-old received nan backing of his skipper aft fending disconnected title from Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne.

"Obviously, his defence has caught rather a spot of flak," said Doris.

"But it's an area that...I'm successful nan aforesaid nine arsenic him successful Leinster and I spot day-to-day nan activity he puts in. Same present successful camp.

"So that broadside of his crippled is improving. In position of his attack, nan ceiling is truthful precocious for him."

France's fly-half Matthieu Jalibert is older, has much Test caps and has been successful sensational shape for Bordeaux this season.

But he, too, is nether unit aft being dropped by Les Bleus leader Fabien Galthie pursuing past year's nonaccomplishment to England.

"Everyone believes successful Matthieu - his team-mates, nan coaching staff, and moreover you batch fixed that each nan journalists were clamouring for him to commencement nan Six Nations fixed nan play he's having," said Dupont.

"It's greenish lights each nan measurement for him. We cognize nan value that he is tin of and we dream that he brings each of his potential, successful nan aforesaid measurement that he has since nan opening of nan season."

Three months connected from an evisceration astatine nan hands of nan Springbok scrum, a patched-up Irish battalion will beryllium tasked pinch keeping nan Parisian crowd quiet.

On paper, it is simply a immense ask. Farrell is without starting Test Lions props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong, while Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle's unavailability further weakens his manus astatine loose-head.

It intends a first Six Nations commencement for 30-year-old Jeremy Loughman, who is simply a coagulated scrummager and has plentifulness of minutes nether his loop for Munster this season. His club-mate Michael Milne - whose 2 caps came against Georgia and Portugal - provides loose-head cover.

Farrell besides hopes tight-head Thomas Clarkson's vulnerability to nan Lions past summertime will thief guideline nan 25-year-old done nan biggest crippled of his career.

Of course, nan French beforehand statement is besides missing a acquainted face, pinch Uini Atonio forced into status because of a bosom problem. The 35-year-old prop had started 18 of France's past 20 Six Nations games, but successful Dorian Aldegheri, Galthie has a reasonably knowledgeable replacement.

In summation to Atonio, France are without Gregory Alldritt and Gael Fickou - who some captained nan squad successful Dupont's absence - and grounds try-scorer Damian Penaud, each of whom person been axed by Galthie, while Thibaud Flament is missing for individual reasons.

Such a extremist shake-up points to French eyes connected nan future, pinch nan returning Dupont nan only personnel of Thursday's matchday squad possessing much than 50 caps.

And if Dupont tin aquatics rings astir Doris and co again connected Thursday, Ireland will struggle to extremity France from laying down an early marker.

France: Ramos; Attissogbe, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Dupont (capt); Gros, Marchand, Aldegheri, Ollivon, Guillard, Cros, Jegou, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Montagne, Auradou, Meafou, Nouchi, Serin, Gourgues.

Ireland: Osborne; O'Brien, Ringrose, McCloskey, Stockdale; S Prendergast, Gibson-Park; Loughman, Sheehan, Clarkson, McCarthy, Beirne, C Prendergast, Van der Flier, Doris (capt).

Replacements: Kelleher, Milne, Bealham, Ryan, Conan, Timoney, Casey, Crowley.

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU)