Lions flanker Stephen Ferris has given Ireland a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations clash with France.
Ferris passed a rigorous fitness test to take his place in the Irish starting line up for the Round 2 encounter in Paris.
The star blindside was forced to sit out the 29-11 win over Italy on the opening weekend of Six Nations action due to a knee injury.
It was feared that the same complaint would prevent him from featuring at the Stade de France in what numerous observers are already billing as a tournament decider.
But the 2009 tourist has been declared fit and will now join fellow Lions David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip in the back row.
Having replaced Ferris against the Azzurri last Saturday, Leinster’s Kevin McLaughlin now misses out on the matchday squad all together, with club colleague Sean O’Brien handed a spot on the replacements bench.
Paddy Wallace, Jonathan Sexton and Eoin Reddan make up the backs replacements, meaning there is no place for Ulster’s Andrew Trimble who, like McLaughlin, started against Italy.
Confirmed Ireland squad to face France on Saturday, February 13
15 Rob Kearney (Leinster)
14 Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
13 Brian O’Driscoll (captain, Leinster)
12 Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster)
11 Keith Earls (Munster)
10 Ronan O’Gara (Munster)
9 Tomas O’Leary (Munster)
1 Cian Healy (Leinster)
2 Jerry Flannery (Munster)
3 John Hayes (Munster)
4 Leo Cullen (Leinster)
5 Paul O’Connell (Munster)
6 Stephen Ferris (Ulster)
7 David Wallace (Munster)
8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
Replacements
16 Rory Best (Ulster)
17 Tom Court (Ulster)
18 Donnacha Ryan (Munster)
19 Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
20 Eoin Reddan (Leinster)
21 Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)
22 Paddy Wallace (Ulster)
Bold denotes Lion
