There's plenty of reason for France head coach Fabien Galthié to exude confidence going into this weekend.
The former Stade Français player and coach has a 100% record against Ireland in the Six Nations, courtesy of wins in the Aviva and Stade de France in the last two tournaments.
There does appear to be a different tone heading into the match this weekend. France, the early competition favourites, will have watched Ireland's demolishing of Wales with bated breath.
There's a feeling that Ireland and France are this year's strongest sides and the game could determine the eventual winner. The French will relish the chance to silence Irish hopes on home turf.
Speaking on the match, Galthié has decided to field a bench of six forwards and two backs. The thought process is to slow Ireland down in the second half with bigger bodies.
Galthié On France Setup
"We have a fresh front five, which is stamping its feet, ready to bring its energy in the second half," Galthié said. "We have a team that is preparing to win this second period."
Fabien Galthié will work remotely for France's opening #GuinnessSixNations game against Italy #FRAvITA pic.twitter.com/2q1pSfR4Ss
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The French have only made two changes to their starting fifteen from the win against Italy last weekend. François Cros comes into the back row and Yoram Moefana starts at inside centre.
Galthié has chosen plenty of powerful bodies to unload on Ireland. "Ireland has the style of play and tactical set up to push us to make this choice in the back row but also on the bench," he said.
When it comes to his overall assessment of the Irish, the Frenchman was full of praise. "It's going to be a solid game. Ireland have a winning streak, they're the top team in Europe and world number three."
In fact, Ireland's nine-game winning streak dates back to Valentine's Day last year. France handed them a loss in a close 15-13 Six Nations encounter in Dublin.
Galthié shares the opinion that this could be their toughest test in the Six Nations out of all of them. "The summit is for Saturday," he said. He also thinks the French need to be disciplined in Paris.
"The Irish concede few penalties, they are rarely penalised, they know how to play by the rules very well and perform well in terms of discipline," he said. "We are more random."
"It will also be important not to show nervousness because gestures can be sanctioned. Beyond discipline, it is more so about working on controlling our gestures and the environment on hand."
See Also: Ireland vs France: Four Critical Battlegrounds That Will Decide The Game
