Heaslip in frame to face France

JAMIE HEASLIP looks set to start for Ireland in Sunday's crucial RBS Six Nations game against France at The Aviva Stadium after he came through training yesterday.

The influential number eight was put through his paces with the rest of the squad and has been rated as a “definite possibility” for the crunch clash with the reigning champions.

The squad announcement for the match had initially been penned in for Friday afternoon but that has been brought forward to today which gives rise to the belief that Heaslip will be named at number eight, with his Leinster team-mate Sean O'Brien going to number six and Denis Leamy dropping to the bench,