Ireland ring changes for French

Dublin - Ireland have made nine changes for their Rugby World Cup warm-up international against France in Bordeaux on Saturday following their defeat to Scotland last weekend.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has retained the back three of Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble and Luke Fitzgerald but has named a new-look centre combination with Keith Earls partnering Paddy Wallace at centre.

Veteran fly-half Ronan O'Gara will start in tandem with Eoin Reddan at scrum-half.

In the forwards, one of the nine changes is a positional switch that sees Donnacha Ryan moving from the second row to the blindside flank with Donncha O'Callaghan coming in to partner captain Leo Cullen at lock.

Sean O'Brien also comes into the back row while Kidney has chosen an entirely new front row to face the French comprising Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross.

Teams:

France:

TBA

Ireland (15-1)

Rob Kearney (Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster); Denis Leamy (Munster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Leo Cullen (Leinster, captain), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Rory Best (Ulster), Cian Healy (Leinster)

Substitutes:

Jerry Flannery (Munster), Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks), Paul O'Connell (Munster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Conor Murray (Munster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Felix Jones (Munster)