A huge test for Farrell’s depleted Irish

ANDY Farrell admits Ireland’s squad depth will be severely tested after captain Johnny Sexton was among a host of senior players ruled out of today’s mustwin Guinness Six Nations clash with France.

Fly-half Sexton and vice-captain James Ryan have failed head injury assessments, while scrumhalf Conor Murray has sustained a hamstring problem and Peter O’Mahony is suspended.

The enforced absences have resulted in Farrell naming an inexperienced half-back pairing of Billy Burns and Jamison GibsonPark, ending Rhys Ruddock’s international exile, and handing the armband to recalled lock Iain Henderson.

Ireland have to beat the French to keep alive their title hopes and, despite a week of serious disruption, head coach Farrell remains upbeat about his contingency plans.

“We’re excited about it. We’ve obviously lost a few experienced players during the week but one man’s loss is another man’s opportunity,” he said.

“The squad is united in the excitement of the challenge ahead for the weekend.

“You have your fingers crossed along the way that things don’t go this way, but that’s why you pick a squad like you do in the autumn and give people a chance to see what it’s like at international rugby

“Our squad depth is coming into play at this moment in time.

“It’s been challenging, but every Test week always presents its own challenges. There has been a lot going on this week but we’re a squad and we’ve been a squad since we met up. Everyone has been swapping in and out.

“You always have at the back of your mind the ‘what if ’ scenarios and here we are. We will give it our best shot, there is no doubt about that.”

Sexton and Ryan each suffered head injuries during the 21-16 loss to Wales and were unable to satisfy return-to-play protocols, while Murray was ruled out just before Farrell named his team on Friday afternoon.

Flanker O’Mahony was hit with a three-match ban earlier this week after a costly 14th-minute red card in Cardiff.

H Keenan (Leinster); K Earls (Munster), G Ringrose (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J

Lowe (Leinster); B Burns (Ulster), J Gibson-Park (Leinster); C Healy (Leinster), R Herring (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), T Beirne (Munster), I Henderson (Ulster, capt), R Ruddock (Leinster), J van der Flier (Leinster), CJ Stander (Munster).

R Kelleher (Leinster), E Byrne (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), U Dillane (Connacht), W Connors (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), R Byrne (Leinster), J Larmour (Leinster).

B Dulin (La Rochelle); D Penaud (Clermont Auvergne), A Vincent (Montpellier), G Fickou (Stade Francais), G Villiere (Toulon); M Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles), A Dupont (Toulouse); C Baille (Toulouse), J Marchand (Toulouse), M Haouas (Montpellier), B Le Roux (Racing 92), P Willemse (Montpellier), A Jelonch (Castres), C Ollivon (Toulon, capt), G Alldritt (La Rochelle).

P Bourgarit (La Rochelle), H Kolingar (Racing 92), U Atonio (La Rochelle), R Taofifenua (Toulon), D Cretin (Lyon), B Serin (Toulon), A Bouthier (Montpellier), T Thomas (Racing 92).