Michael Morrow
BBC Sport NI at Aviva Stadium

Ireland's stole four of Wales' line-outs last week, they've already won the ball off three of France's throws.

An early feather in Paul O'Connell's coaching cap - that is absolutely something we did not see from Ireland last year.

Tommy Bowe
Former Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Well done, Billy Burns. He's off the mark! I couldn't look!

That is more like it.

It would have been a real crisis had he missed it, but Billy Burns sinks a regulation penalty shot at goal to get the first points on the board.

Tommy Bowe
Former Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

He absolutely shanked that. That's a big dent in his cap because he's started the game so well.

If that was off the golf tee rather than the kicking tee, you would call for a mulligan.

The ball duffs well wide from Billy Burns shot at the sticks.

The Ireland fly-half's confidence is wafer thin.

Billy Burns hoists a cross-field bomb up towards the Aviva rafters.

Brice Dulin takes it well, but his prop Mohammed Haouas is off his feet at a subsequent break-down.

Penalty Ireland. And Billy Burns will take this pot-shot at the sticks...

Andrew Porter wins a scrummage scrap with Cyril Baille. Ireland with a bit of momentum off the penalty. James Lowe makes metres down the left wing.

But that is clever from Gael Fickou. France's centre peels the ball out of CJ Stander's grasp in contact to secure the turnover.

Ireland infringe in the line-out. Think it was a bit of offside as Rhys Ruddock brought the goods back down to earth.

Matthieu Jalibert calls for the tee. But his kick drifts left. It was 40-odd metres and a fair chunk of angle.

That was a superb kick from Brice Dulin.

France opt to swing the ball wide to the full-back's left boot rather than clear via fly-half Matthieu Jalibert.

Drilled low, Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan opts to let it go into touch rather than try to pick up an awkward bobbler on the run.

Ireland building a head of steam just outside the France 22m. A good rumble from Andrew Porter and then CJ Stander. Robbie Henshaw tries to worm into the the red zone.

But the ball goes to floor via hooker Rob Herring's hand.

Disappointing as that was a decent platform...

Image source, Reuters

Tommy Bowe
Former Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

There was a brilliant steal at an early line-out from Ireland. They've brought in Paul O'Connell to work on that aspect of their game and you could see his influence there.

Paul Grayson
Former England fly-half on BBC 5 Radio Live Sports Extra

The pressure is on Ireland and Andy Farrell to start delivering a performance. They need some dominant defence and a controlled kicking game.

It's a free hit for France, they have been playing so well and it's another chance for their youngsters to show their quality.

Both teams probing the backfield with deep kicks.

Neither backing themselves with ball in hand. Back and forth it goes. James Lowe eventually finds touch for Ireland, but overall that is a net territory gain for France.

Referee Luke Pearce is issuing instructions in French as well as English. Good to see. A second error in the space of the first couple of minutes for Brice Dulin as he spills a snowy up and under from Billy Burns.

Once again the French get lucky as the ball bobbles into a blue hand.

We are off. France gather safely.

But Brice Dulin dallies too long on his clearing kick...Iain Henderson gets a long limb on the ball.

Could go anywhere!

Luckily for the French it floats into the paws of Gabin Villiere.

A let-off.

Ireland's Call fades away in the chill Dublin air. Ireland huddle up. Iain Henderson barks some final instructions.

The next sound will be referee Luke Pearce's whistle to start the action.

Marchons, marchons!

The French team play with more accuracy and harmony than they sing that is for sure. Could do with a full Stade de France chorus line to hide some of the bum notes.

The two teams wander out into an empty Aviva Stadium. The only Fields of Athenry today is the stuff mixed into the television sound.

Before the anthems, the two teams spend a moment to mark rugby's opposition to racism.

Players on both teams stay standing .

Tommy Bowe
Former Ireland winger on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

There's nobody really biting at the heels of Johnny Sexton. He's 35 going on 36 - is he going to the fly-half at the 2023 World Cup? It's looking unlikely because age does seem to be catching up on him.

Billy Burns only has four caps? Can he bounce back after that shocker of a kick last week? It's a massive game for him.

Shaun Edwards has been a key part of Fabien Galthie's new-look set-up.

The former Wales defence coach has been with France a year and doing a good job getting his tongue around the lingo as well as tightening up France on the wrong side of the ball.