Captain gives fans hype warning

IRISH captain Brian O'Driscoll issued a hype warning to the nation's rugby fans last night amid fears that expectations for Saturday's Six Nations clash with France are spiralling out of control.

"People are getting ahead of themselves. Have they forgotten that France won the Grand Slam last year, that they just put 38 points on Scotland last week? Do we not know that they're a good side, with the potential to be a fantastic side? To be honest, public perception, or media perception, isn't anything like the perception of the 22 in the squad, and our management. We all know how hard it's going to be." Keeping their feet very firmly on the ground isn't that difficult for either O'Driscoll or his team-mates, courtesy of a 40-point drubbing in Paris last season.

"There's been some serious ups and some terrible downs against France and I've known both sides of the coin. Last year was pretty humiliating, and that should be reminder enough to keep yourself focused. They were brilliant that day, I think we did very well to keep the scoreline to what it was. Only some last-ditch tackles prevented tries on a couple of occasions."

O'Driscoll is in doubt as to what makes the French so dangerous. "Their flair their ability to run it from anywhere, score from anywhere. If their pack gets on top and gives a good platform to their backs, I don't know what it is in them but they just run the most outrageous lines and have carved open the best of defences. They didn't play as well as they can against England, and yet they still score three tries. Speaks volumes."

One of the major sources of Irish optimism is the absence of France's inspirational captain, Fabien Galthie, and O'Driscoll agrees that it is a significant factor. "How big a loss is the world player-of-the-year of last year," he asked, rhetorically.

"He's a big loss to them, in fairness, he marshals everything; he's their little general. He's a fantastic scrum-half, and his return to the French side has really brought them on to where they are at the moment. A lot of their Grand Slam was down to his controlling and his marshalling last year."

Another major absentee from last year is Tony Marsh, France's muscular all-round outside-centre and another guy who, like Galthie, was an extremely important component of France's all-conquering season.

Ireland have made two changes to the team for Saturday's game. Leinster's Girvan Dempsey returns at full-back after his late withdrawal due a groin strain from the side which beat Italy in Rome on February 22.

And Munster front-row Marcus Horan comes in at prop, replacing Reggie Corrigan, who fractured his wrist in the game at the Stadio Flaminio.