Ronan O’Gara says the preparation Ireland is taking for what lies ahead is not to be snubbed.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Toulouse captain, Thierry Dusautoir, says they will be striving to erase the bad memory of their last visit to Thomond Park, in 2014. They are returning to Limerick to face Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

Donal Lenihan looks ahead to Ireland's clash with France.

CHAMPIONS CUP: YOUR TEAM-BY-TEAM WEEKEND GUIDE

France’s World Cup preparations hit an unlikely speed bump in the shape of a Croydon wedding party.

France’s World Cup preparations hit an unlikely speed bump in the shape of a Croydon wedding party.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has left out fly-half Francois Trinh-Ducfrom his 31-man World Cup squad, in favour of Frederic Michalak.

England v France

Ireland’s Championship and Grand Slam ambitions remain alive, but only just after Joe Schmidt’s side clung on to claim victory against France in their Six Nations meeting at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

If there was one bum note that accompanied Ireland’s comprehensive Six Nations opener in Rome last week, then it was the camera shots of Sean O’Brien sitting glum-faced in the Stadio Olimpico stands as the Italy game passed him by.

France have named their starting XV for the Six Nations match against Ireland on Saturday evening.

France 15 Scotland 8: They put a brave face on it but it was evident from the shrugs and pouts that a hard-fought tryless 15-8 victory over a feisty Scotland in Paris was not quite enough for the French. 

Amid the hype and bluster surrounding the Six Nations launch, the French provided a moment of context and a sharp dose of reality.

The Scots went to some trouble to make Richie McCaw feel at home at Murrayfield, unearthing evidence placing his ancestors from the same county as Robbie Burns, Bill Shankly and Robert the Bruce.

Four quarter-finals, each with fascinating sub-plots. Our rugby analyst looks for the tell-tales indicators.

Three key issues Ireland must address.

RBS SIX NATIONS:

If the French president Francois Hollande has been sweating under the pressure of public scrutiny over the last couple of weeks, it is nothing to that felt by Phillipe Saint-Andre.

Thoughts of a potential Heineken Cup semi-final with Leinster can wait as far as Munster head coach Rob Penney is concerned, it is a first visit to Thomond Park by four-time champions Toulouse that will exercise his mind as European competition goes into the knockout stages.

Connacht produced one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Heineken Cup as they rounded off a perfect weekend in Europe for the Irish provinces with a 16-14 win in Toulouse.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL THREE:

Michael Hooper is gearing up for the biggest day of his fledgling career on Saturday.

Coming into Saturday’s Six Nations face-off at the Aviva Stadium, it was always going to be a case of who blinked first.

Ireland 13 France 13

For a team that has lost all three matches in this year’s Six Nations, the French have been remarkably positive as they prepare for what is undoubtedly going to be another bruising encounter against Ireland in Dublin this afternoon.

Thierry Dusautoir insists France must not be intimidated by the possibility of slumping to their worst sequence of results in the RBS 6 Nations for 86 years.

England 23 France 23

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made two changes to the team beaten by Italy last weekend for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Paris.

Will cautious Philippe Saint-Andre let multi-talented backline express themselves?

FOR anyone unsure about the importance of captaincy in rugby, the build-up to this year’s RBS 6 Nations will have disabused them of the notion that the role is an irrelevance in the modern game.

Six Nations

Toulon centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been recalled to France’s preliminary RBS 6 Nations squad but there is no place for Toulouse winger Maxime Medard.

As the head coaches and captains did the rounds in the post-World Cup pool draw interview session on Monday there were many opportunities for handshakes, jokes and snatched conversations between their various media obligations.

If Ireland were glad to have avoided the southern hemisphere’s big guns and dangerous sides in band three, it was clear the French and Italians were equally as relieved to have been pooled with the Irish.

Frederic Michalak has been named in France’s squad for their two-match tour of Argentina next month.

To look at the way Donnacha Ryan earned his Munster Player of the Year award you would never imagine the bristling, marauding forward ever experienced moments of doubt.

English clubs go missing again...

Sam Warburton is ready to lead Wales’ final push for the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam glory tomorrow, declaring: “It will be the biggest game of my career.”

Paul O’Connell is hopeful he can complete his rehabilitation in time for Munster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Ulster in four week's time after suffering a knee injury in Ireland’s 17-17 draw with France last weekend.

France were left to reflect on the “feeling of defeat” after ending their Six Nations Grand Slam hopes yesterday, according to manager Philippe Saint-Andre.