Jared Payne Ruled Out Of World Cup

Paul O’Connell has fired up Ireland’s forwards for Sunday’s pivotal battle with France by detailing all their World Cup shortcomings.

Ireland and France have met three times at the world cup and Les Blues have won them all.

“We don’t mind. The team you’re going to face in the quarter-finals is potentially a team that could go all the way and win this World Cup”, he said. The real prize for the victor?

But Dusautoir insisted he was not totally driven by the thought of avoiding the All Blacks.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, my players are desperate to play in this match”. It is because of such issues Picamoles wasn’t involved for France during the 6 Nations, and only forced his way back into the squad off the back of three strong outings during the World Cup warm up series.

“I don’t think it would be easier to play against them”.

As for the pot-shots sent over the bows of the good ship France towards Ireland playmaker Jonathan Sexton this week, it was left to his opposite number Freddy Michalak to defuse the tension with a droll stinger to an otherwise diplomatic response. “They’re been the fittest he’s had them”, Schmidt said.

Croke Park hosts a test for the first time, and France lead 13-3 after 14 minutes thanks to captain Raphael Ibanez’s smashing try.

“And then it comes to a World Cup, it’s nearly like they build for this”.

France has reached the semifinals in six of the previous seven World Cups.

“The French (teams) are always unpredictable”.

A first win in five meetings against the Six Nations champions – the first two were draws with the Irish winning the last two – would go a long way to rehabilitating the former French captain’s reputation.

Saint-Andre commented: “The pressure is all on Ireland”. Dev has been a “big game” player for us and he gives us a little bit more lineout capability. Particularly for us at this point in time, with the underdog tag beforehand people liked to cling on to that. “I’ve been on the wrong side of the percentages in the last few years”.

“It’s certainly going to be the biggest game I’ve ever played in”.

“So to start with two players who are full-backs is a bid to unnerve the Irish and have options for counter-attacking”.

Vincent Debaty has come back on for France and Louis Picamoles returns to the bench.

In all there are just three switches from the XV that eased past Georgia: Cian Healy replaces Jack McGrath in the front row, Devin Toner takes Iain Henderson’s spot in the second row and Rob Kearney gets the nod at fullback, with Simon Zebo missing out on a spot in the matchday 23.

Centre Jared Payne was also absent from the scrappy 16-9 win over Italy last Sunday, with what Ireland described as a “bruised foot”, and he hasn’t recovered his fitness.

Connor Murray and Jonny Sexton continue at half-back, with Robbie Henshaw and Keith Earls continuing their midfield partnership, Tommy Bowe and Dave Kearney lining up on the two wings.