Cian Tracey

was going to be that game but according to the Leinster squad update earlier in the week he's not going to be playing this weekend so that means Hugo Keenan is most likely you'd have to say if he passes all his fitness tests going to be going into the cauldron of the Stade de France not having played since last August for the Lions now as you said Joe he's probably one of the fittest players in Irish rugby but that is a big ask I think Tommy O'Brien

particularly with Matt Hanson out of the team, is nailed on.

I think he's been brilliant.

Obviously, last season was his breakout, but he's been excellent again this season for Leinster.

I think James Lowe is under serious pressure for his place.

He is not having a great season.

Obviously, he picked up an injury lately.

He didn't have a great Lions tour.

I think Jacob Stockdale is another Ulster player who's having a brilliant season.

I think he's putting pressure on him.

I think the likes of Zach Ward and JJ Kenny are putting pressure on him.

Yeah, but on the fringes, I'd imagine that game in Paris, if James Lowe is starting, he's going to get the old Joe Schmidt, Rob Carney tap on the shoulder that I need a big one from you here because he just hasn't been delivering over the last while.

Yeah, and I think that was always going to be likely the case.

I think if he was here now, he would argue that this is why he has plugged in so many A games, Ireland 15 games into the calendar because he does, you know, seemingly put a bit of stock in them.

But,

The pity about the way the schedule is now is that, like I mentioned, the two players Bryn Ward and Darren Murray are the only two guys from the squad.

Now, guys from the senior squad can drop back down into the 15 squad, but Andy Farrell and the Ireland coaches are going to be away in Portugal.

It's not like they're going to be training together in the HPC in Dublin, getting a look at these guys.

So it's kind of unfortunate the way the calendar has dropped in that sense.

But I don't think he was ever going to make wholesale changes as much as