Eight changes for Ireland team

Declan Kidney has picked a strong team to face France in Ireland's second World Cup warm-up match in Bordeaux on Saturday night.

The side shows eight changes, one positional, to the team that lost to Scotland in Murrayfield last Saturday.

The back three remains unchanged with Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble and Luke Fitzgerald all named in the side.

Paddy Wallace starts in the centre, with Keith Earls getting his first taste of action this season at outside centre. Ronan O’Gara and Eoin Reddan start the game as the halfback combination.

In the forwards, one of the nine changes to the team is a positional switch, with Donnacha Ryan moving from the second row to the blindside and Donncha O’Callaghan coming in to partner Leo Cullen, who will again captain the team.

The other change to the back row is Sean O’Brien, who starts his first game of the August programme.

There is an entirely new front row, with Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross coming into the side.

In the replacements, Paul O’Connell and Jamie Heaslip are named in their first match 22 of the season, with the uncapped former Ireland U-20 scrumhalf Conor Murray being named in a match squad for the first time.

15 - Rob Kearney

14 - Andrew Trimble

13 - Keith Earls

12 - Paddy Wallace

11 - Luke Fitzgerald

10 - Ronan O’Gara

9 - Eoin Reddan

1 - Cian Healy

2 - Rory Best

3 - Mike Ross

4 - Donncha O’Callaghan

5 - Leo Cullen - Captain

6 - Donnacha Ryan

7 - Sean O’Brien

8 - Denis Leamy

Replacements: Jerry Flannery, Tony Buckley, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray, Fergus McFadden, Felix Jones.