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25th October 2020
05:06pm GMT
The result that would guarantee Ireland their fourth Six Nations championship since 2014 would be winning in Paris and getting the try-scoring bonus point while they are at it.
That question was the elephant in the room (or Lansdowne Road) on Saturday, during Andy Farrell's post-match briefing. Everyone knows a bonus point win would seal the title, but Farrell and his players want to steer clear of such mentions before the game.
Asked for his overriding emotion heading into next Saturday's game at Stade de France, the Ireland head coach commented:
"Well, the bigger picture stuff is to get some meaning into next week and we certainly managed to do that. We certainly always want to be in with a chance in the last game to try and win the trophy. "It's a big old ask to go to Paris and try to win. Obviously the French have a fantastic squad... It's always a big ask to go and win there but we've started out campaign and we've got ourselves into next week with a chance. We've got a lot to fix up, which you would expect after week one but it puts us in good stead for next week as well."In terms of team selection for the game, there is not much we would change with the starting line-up or bench. Garry Ringrose is out for between four to six weeks after breaking his jaw in the win over Italy, so that is the one big area Farrell will be addressing.
His options are to start Robbie Henshaw at 13, which is what we would opt for, or to draft in Chris Farrell or Stuart McCloskey and leave the versatile Henshaw on the bench.
Should Farrell go for Henshaw, he then has to choose who steps in as backline cover on the bench. Farrell and McCloskey look set to duke it out, but Shane Daly can cover all positions across the backline and, we heard, Keith Earls is back in training. It would be a lot to ask for Earls to step straight into the Test arena, but he is a proven performer at this stage and has produced the goods in Paris before.
Otherwise, we would go with a relatively unchanged squad again. There is an option of bringing in Josh van der Flier as a fresh back row option and Jack Carty might be suited to a looser attacking game should Ireland sense the bonus point is on.
15. Jacob Stockdale 14. Andrew Conway 13. Robbie Henshaw 12. Bundee Aki 11. Hugo Keenan 10. Johnny Sexton 9. Conor Murray 1. Cian Healy 2. Rob Herring 3. Andrew Porter 4. James Ryan 5. Tadhg Beirne 6. Caelan Doris 7. Will Connors 8. CJ StanderSubs: Dave Heffernan, Ed Byrne, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Peter O'Mahony, Kieran Marmion, Jack Carty, Chris Farrell.
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