Ireland welcome back Hugo Keenan and Caelan Doris to the starting lineup following injury, while Bundee Aki returns to the centre due to Gary Ringrose’s red card suspension.

Galthie has decided the solution to the wall his side must get over today is to name a bench capable of smashing it to pieces. Then eating it. We can debate the 7-1 bench split as much as you like but there is something viscerally elemental about naming seven massive lads to come on after an hour or so, ignoring the risk a few injuries means Cyrille Baille at fullback. But who wouldn’t want to see that? I’m struggling to see a downside.

In other news, Damien Penaud and Romain Ntamack are back in the starting XV.

Ireland
Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.

Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley.

France
Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey,; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Jean Baptiste-Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Thibaud Flament, Mickael Guillard; Francois Cros, Paul Boudehent, Gregory Alldritt

Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Emmanuel Meafou, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lucu

The Clincher™ sounds like many things. A terrible series of action films starring Jason Statham (my personal favourite is The Clincher 5: All Clinch, No Flinch), the finishing move of a mid-level WWE Superstar, or perhaps a nickname that James Haskell gave himself that everyone refuses use. It’s also absolutely the right description for today’s match between the tournament’s big two with the outcome pretty much deciding where the trophy ends up next week.

Ireland enter proceedings undefeated and with the dual advantages of a home tie with a more settled side and more even form than the French visitors, but neither team have shown their absolute best so far. Simon Easterby’s men are uneven in attack with a new “kick-first” plan jointly conducted by Jamison Gibson-Park and his favourite child Sam Prendergast; while Fabien Galthie has given off vibes more muddled than his optician’s recommendations with selection, gameplan, plus – whisper it – Shaun Edwards’s much vaunted defence is misfiring.

The previous two matches between the nations were comfortable wins for Ireland, including the away win in Marseille last year. France would no doubt like to point out that 2024 was a Dupont-less France, therefore it doesn’t count as far as they are concerned. Ireland will have none of that, but they are also not the team they were in 2023 or 2024. All of this plus the stakes makes the outing today a fascinating one.

Kick off is at 2:15 GMT so there’s still time to watch The Clincher 7: Give ‘em A Clinch Before They Take A Mile while you wait.