On the ditch

Eddie O’Sullivan has announced the Ireland squad to face the French this weekend. And once the calls for change seem to have passed him by unheeded. There are, however, a few changes with Jamie Heaslip and Bernard Jackman included in the line-up and Shane Horgan on the bench. Rob Kearney will make his first start, replacing the injured D’Arcy who fractured his wrist in the match against Italy.

Is this the beginning of the end for O’Sullivan?

IRELAND TEAM AND REPLACEMENTS (v France, 2008 RBS Six Nations, Stade de France, Paris, kick-off 5pm local time):

Player Club Caps

15 - Girvan Dempsey (Terenure College/Leinster) 79
14 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers) 54
13 - Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) 80 (capt)
12 - Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster) 20
11 - Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster) 2
10 - Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster) 78
9 - Eoin Reddan (London Wasps) 6

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster) 52
2 - Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster) 5
3 - John Hayes (Bruff/Munster) 80
4 - Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster) 41
5 - Malcolm O’Kelly (St. Mary’s College/Leinster) 90
6 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster) 28
7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster) 42
8 - Jamie Heaslip (Clontarf/Leinster) 4

Replacements:

16 - Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster) 18
17 - Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster) 3
18 - Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster) 12
19 - Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets) 63
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster) 80
21 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster) 6
22 - Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster) 58

Not Considered:

Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster) {suspension}
Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster) {arm}
Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster) {back}

Tags: 6nations2008, Bernard Jackman, Eddie O'Sullivan, Ireland v France, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Shane Horgan, Six Nations, team news