Ireland Team to Play France

Jamie Heaslip returns for Ireland

The Ireland team to play France in the first RBS 6 Nations Championship game at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 3pm) has been named.

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has made one change to the team that started against Italy last Saturday, with the fit-again Jamie Heaslip returning at number 8.

Sean O'Brien moves to blindside flanker and Denis Leamy is named among the replacements in place of Shane Jennings. David Wallace, who touched down against France last year, completes the starting back row.

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll is within touching distance of yet another career milestone - the Championship try-scoring record that has stood since 1933. O'Driscoll is one try short of equalling Ian Smith's record.

Click here for the Ireland v France head-to-head preview.

IRELAND Team & Replacements (v France, 2011 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Aviva Stadium, Sunday, February 13, kick-off 3.pm):

15 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)

14 - Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)

13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster) (capt)

12 - Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)

11 - Keith Earls (Thomond/Munster)

10 - Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College/Leinster)

9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)

1 - Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)

2 - Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster)

3 - Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)

4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)

5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)

6 - Sean O'Brien (Clontarf/Leinster)

7 - David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)

8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)

Replacements:

16 - Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)

17 - Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)

18 - Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)

19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)

20 - Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster)

21 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)

22 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)