Mike Ross on guard for ‘unpredictable’ French

Mike Ross isn’t one of those youngsters who knows nothing of defeat to France.

The Leinster tight-head has played in all four of the recent meetings in which Ireland have drawn twice and won the other pair, but his first year as a regular in green coincided with three successive losses to Sunday’s opponents.

“It’s a cliché, but the French can be fairly unpredictable as to how they’re going to play,” he said. “It’s certainly something we experienced first-hand when we won the Six Nations in 2014. France chose to put on their best performance and we just, just squeaked home.