Good news for French trio

France’s injury worries have cleared up ahead of their RBS 6 Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Three players – prop Benoit Lecouls and second-row partners Lionel Nallet and Sebastien Chabal – sustained minor injuries while on club duty at the weekend.

But all three reported to Marcoussis yesterday evening for the start of a week’s preparation ahead of Saturday’s match at Croke Park, which will be a relief to head coach Marc Lievremont.

Lecouls appeared to be Lievremont’s biggest concern, the Toulouse prop having received a neck injury during his side’s defeat to Biarritz on Saturday.

But he said: “I feel hardly anything now. Everything should be okay.”

Les Bleus captain Nallet looks to have recovered from a rib complaint and Sale Sharks’ Chabal has shrugged off a shoulder problem suffered during his club’s win at Worcester Warriors.

France were expected to train for a couple of hours this afternoon while Lievremont will tomorrow morning name his starting XV for the Ireland match.