Ireland pen pics

The 15 men lining out against France

15 Rob Kearney

Age: 26

Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in)

Weight: 95 kg (15st)

Kearney craves responsibility. This inevitably means when Ireland are struggling he will attack from deep and risk a costly turnover.

14 Fergus McFadden

Age: 26

Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in)

Weight: 93kg (14st 9lbs)

Thirteen long months since his last Six Nations start, woe betide the first Frenchman who runs at him. The place-kicking theory has been overblown and is irrelevant.

13 Brian O’Driscoll

Age: 34

Height: 1.75m (5ft 9in)

Weight: 95kg (14st 13lbs)

Final Test in front of his beloved Dublin gallery? Bastareaud won’t be missed although he would probably pinch a few balls off the big French bus on the floor.

12 Luke Marshall

Age: 21

Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in)

Weight: 96kg (15st 1lbs)

A growing boy, in body and mind, when the sparks of his undoubted distribution skills catch fire he will become a fixture at 12. Today could be the day.

11 Keith Earls

Age: 25

Height: 1.78m (5ft 10in)

Weight: 90kg (14st 1lbs)

Unquestionably a left winger now, he must improve his peripheral vision if those searing half breaks are to result in tries and not frustrated support runners.

10 Paddy Jackson

Age: 21

Height: 1.80 (5ft 11in)

Weight: 87kg (13st 9lbs)

An excellent distributor, his fast-tracking felt more like the madcap offering of a French coach than the calculated Kidney, who has bravely bet his future on the kid delivering.

9 Conor Murray

Age: 23

Height: 1.88 (6ft 2in)

Weight: 94kg (14st 10lbs)

Like O’Driscoll, his all-action Welsh performance must rear its head again. That means plenty of direct running off quick, clean lineout ball.

1 Cian Healy

Age: 25

Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in)

Weight: 112kg (17st 8lbs)

Came in for some ignorant criticism from the faceless trolls, his return from suspension is equal to Sexton or Of’Connell running out. A national treasure deserves more respect.

2 Rory Best

Age: 30

Height: 1.80m (5ft 11in)

Weight: 110kg (17st 4lbs)

Will have quietly colluded with Ryan to ensure the lineout becomes a weapon again, while the rest of the veteran’s game has him on course to tour Australia this summer.

3 Mike Ross

Age: 33

Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in)

Weight: 127kgs (19st 13lbs)

The Clermont pair of Domingo and Kayser have creaked his neck before but the beauty of Ross is his studious nature and ability to adapt.

4 Mike McCarthy

Age: 31

Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in)

Weight: 115 kg (18 st 2lbs)

The high profile errors against England happened, so did the smashing of a dozen Springboks in November. The latter performance must reappear today.

5 Donnacha Ryan

Age: 29

Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)

Weight: 108kgs (17st)

Undulating but unrelenting in only his second full Six Nations campaign, Ryan must deny French Goliaths, Samson and Maestri, a moment’s peace.

6 Peter O’Mahony

Age: 23

Height: 1.91m (6ft 3ft)

Weight: 108kgs (17st)

News flash: Peter O’Mahony has a temper. But sometimes in rugby someone has to go pick a fight. He has also displayed the agility of an international flanker.

7 Seán O’Brien

Age: 25

Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in)

Weight: 108kgs (17st)

As with the English, beasts like Picamoles and Dusautoir will be launching counter-torpedo shoulders to halt his carries. A concussion would deflate the entire stadium, a line break would get everyone out of their seats.

8 Jamie Heaslip (capt)

Age: 29

Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in)

Weight: 109kgs (17st 2lbs)

Good player, could be a great player, may yet become one. Decent leader, could be a good one, may yet become one.