Under-pressure Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named a team to play France without a starting or reserve fly-half as he waits on the fitness of Paddy Jackson.
Jackson has a tight hamstring, which an Ireland team statement said on Tuesday was “being carefully monitored during training this morning” ahead of this weekend’s match at Dublin’s Lansdowne Road.
The 21-year-old Ulster stand-off made his Test debut in Ireland’s previous match, an 11-8 loss to Scotland at Murrayfield last month when the visitors failed to secure victory despite dominating possession and territory.
Ireland’s cause wasn’t helped that day by Jackson, who isn’t a regular goalkicker for his province, missing three out of his four shots at the posts.
Jackson was only playing in Edinburgh because first-choice outside-half Jonathan Sexton suffered a hamstring injury of his own in the preceding loss to England in Dublin.
Now the in-form Ian Madigan could start against France, with Kidney saying the choice this weekend was between the Leinster man and Jackson.
“Paddy’s chances of pulling through are very good and he should be good to train on Thursday,” Kidney said.
“We’ll make the choice between Paddy and Ian then.”
Ireland have won just one of their last 13 Tests against France, in 2009 when Kidney oversaw a Six Nations Grand Slam.
But France, despite being pre-tournament favourites, have lost all their three matches so far this season and are facing the prospect of a first championship whitewash since 1957.
Ireland: Rob Kearney; Fergus McFadden, Brian O’Driscoll, Luke Marshall, Keith Earls; A.N.Other (TBC); Conor Murray; Jamie Heaslip (capt), Sean O’Brien, Peter O’Mahony; Donnacha Ryan, Mike McCarthy; Mike Ross, Rory Best, Cian Healy. Res: Sean Cronin, David Kilcoyne, A.N.Other (TBC), Donncha O’Callaghan, Iain Henderson, Eoin Reddan, A.N.Other (TBC), Luke Fitzgerald.
Note: A.N.Other (TBC): unknown player, to be confirmed