Six Nations 2023: Conor Murray fit as Rob Herring starts for Ireland against France

Rob Herring (left) and Conor Murray (right) will start for Ireland in a game which many feel will decide this year's Six Nations

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has made one change for Saturday's Six Nations game against France as Rob Herring replaces injured hooker Dan Sheehan.

Sheehan's hamstring injury sees him drop out of the matchday squad, with fit-again Ronan Kelleher on the bench.

There had been speculation over Conor Murray's fitness but the Munster scrum-half is selected in the half-backs alongside skipper Johnny Sexton.

Fly-half Sexton starts despite having to go off during the win over Wales.

It was initially stated that Sexton had undergone a head injury assessment but Farrell later clarified that the veteran number 10's fitness issue was a dead leg.

Sexton's availability means he starts Saturday's Test against title rivals and reigning Grand Slam winners France, who will be unchanged for the Dublin game despite opening this year's championship with an unconvincing 29-24 defeat of Italy in Rome.

Sexton, 37, missed last year's defeat in Paris because of a hamstring problem.

Sheehan's absence will be seen as a big loss for Ireland with the 24-year-old having firmly established himself as Farrell's first-choice hooker, featuring in all 11 of the country's games in 2022.

"It's not nice for Dan," said Farrell.

"A fantastic player at the top of his form. Anyone would miss a player in that kind of form. I sound like a broken record, but it's great because this is exactly what's going to happen down the track in the World Cup.

"International rugby is only going to get bigger and better so it's always going to be about the squad.

"When you get to the World Cup, you've a small squad. There's rightly a 12-day turnaround as far as concussions concerned so you're always going to be numbers down and you have to roll with the punches."

Sheehan has cemented his place in the Irish starting line-up after making his debut in November 2021

Centre Robbie Henshaw was not fit enough to make the initial Six Nations squad while Jamison Gibson-Park, Tadhg Furlong and Cian Healy all missed last week's win and remain out of the matchday 23.

Farrell, who has lost all three meetings with France since taking the Ireland reins in 2019, sticks with a back three of Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe.

Bundee Aki remains among the replacements with the midfield partnership of Stuart McCloskey and Garry Ringrose retained.

Finlay Bealham and Andrew Porter are kept in the front row alongside Herring.

James Ryan - who captained Ireland in last year's defeat by France in Sexton's absence - starts alongside Tadhg Beirne in the second row, with Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris again lining out in the back row.

Les Bleus, the only team to beat Ireland in Dublin since the 2019 World Cup, are bidding for a 15th successive victory to put themselves in pole position to win the championship.

While France were pushed all the way against Italy, Farrell expects them to be back to their best on Saturday.

"What's been very impressive about them is their temperament," he said.

"They've got a plan A, B and C, and maybe a D as well. When things haven't been going their way they've always found a way to win over the last 12 months, so any type of victory over a side like that is going to be a big performance."

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, McCloskey, Lowe; Sexton, Murray; Porter, Herring, Bealham, Beirne, Ryan, O'Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Kelleher, Kilcoyne, O'Toole, Henderson, Conan, Casey, Byrne, Aki.

France: Ramos; Penaud, Fickou, Moefana, Dumortier; Ntamack, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Atonio, Flament, Willemse, Jelonch, Ollivon, Alldritt.

Replacements: Barlot, Wardi, Falatea, Taofifenua, Cros, Macalou, Couilloud, Jalibert.

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