SEAN O’BRIEN AND Rob Kearney have been passed fit for Ireland’s Six Nations meeting away to France on Saturday (KO 14.25 Irish time).

The Leinster duo come straight in to the starting line-up after missing out on the opening weekend with hamstring niggles.

The starting XV shows three changes from the team who played out a bruising draw at home to Wales on Sunday. The nature of that game caused head coach Joe Schmidt to dispense with his usual unwritten rule of selecting only players who had taken a full part in training all week, and the Kiwi delayed finalising the selection until after today’s session in Carton House.

After struggling with a knee injury, Simon Zebo has failed to recover sufficiently to earn a place in the squad. Dave Kearney starts on the left wing with Fergus McFadden named among the replacements just days after being called into the squad.

Ireland (v France, 13 February, 14.25)

15. Rob Kearney
14. Andrew Trimble
13. Jared Payne
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Dave Kearney
10. Jonathan Sexton
9. Conor Murray

1. Jack McGrath
2. Rory Best (Capt)
3. Nathan White
4. Mike McCarthy
5. Devin Toner
6. CJ Stander
7. Sean O’Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip

Replacements

16. Richardt Strauss
17. James Cronin
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Donnacha Ryan
20. Tommy O’Donnell
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Ian Madigan
23. Fergus McFadden

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