France make five changes for Croker showpiece

FRANCE Coach Bernard Laporte has made five changes to the team to play Ireland in the Six Nations in Dublin on Sunday from the one that hammered Italy 39-3 on the tournament’s opening weekend.

Three changes come in the pack, Stade Francais prop Sylvain Marconnet taking the place of Olivier Milloud, Castres lock Pascal Pape replacing Jerome Thion, and barn-storming Biarritz No 8 Imanol Hardinordoquy coming in for Julien Bonnaire. Marconnet will win his 70th cap against the Irish, making him France’s most-capped prop.

Milloud, Thion and Bonnaire all drop to the bench, along with winger Cedric Heymans, replaced in the starting XV announced Tuesday by Toulouse team-mate Vincent Clerc.