Lievremont makes five changes after goading English

France coach Marc Lievremont has continued his baffling selection policy after naming five changes in the team to play England at Twickenham Saturday.

France chiseled out a hard fought 22-25 victory over Ireland last time out. But despite Morgan Parra's 100% kicking ratio in that game, Dimitri Yachvili, has been recalled to the scrum half position.

Parra provided 15 of les Bleus 25 points at Lansdowne road but his half back partner Francois Trinh-Duc must now adapt to playing with the more pragmatic Biarritz number 9.

In demand Leinster academy get chance to prove their worth

While Ireland gear up for the visit of France in the Six Nations. Leinster, who will contribute almost two thirds of the Ireland starting XV, will be showing off their reserves as they take on Aironi the RDS tomorrow.

Predictably, it is the backline which is weakened most during the international period with Fijian one-capper, Isa Nacewa the only experienced professional behind the scrum.

They will pack plenty of grunt amongst the forwards with squad regulars, Dominic Ryan, Stephen Keogh and Rhys Ruddock (as captain) in the row behind Devin Toner and Kevin McLaughlin.

Head coach Joe Schmidt will hope that the youthful exuberance can be tempered by a solid base in the front row where Heinke Van Der Merwe and Clint Newland will be out to impress in the absence of Ireland's first choice props; Cian Healy and Mike Ross.

Their hooker has no need to impress any further. Richardt Strauss has been a pivotal cog in Leinster's brilliance so far this season and supporters will look to him to carry plenty of ball against the Italian outfit.

Mixture of hardship and grace leads Kidney to just one change

He's back! The country's most pre-eminent back-row Jamie Heaslip will once again fill Ireland's number eight jersey when Lansdowne Road's Aviva Stadium hosts France in it's first Six Nations match.

Heaslip missed out on Ireland's opening night jitters, a 13 -11 win over Italy in Rome, but has now recovered from his ankle injury in time to face the grand slam holders.

The Leinster stars inclusion means Denis Leamy is forced onto the bench as the island's form forward, Sean O'Brien is switched to blindside flanker.

Kidney able to name strong side to face Italy

Declan Kidney has managed to name a strong starting 15 to open the Six Nations campaign in Italy despite a severely depleted list of options in certain positions.

A spate of injuries that could have proved crippling in previous years, now look like serving as an important stage in the development of Kidney's side just seven months before the World Cup.

Last year's Six Nations brought little other than disappointment. Concerns grew amongst the masses that the grand slam winning coach was falling into the same trap as his predecessor. Those fears grew in the autumn as the former Munster supremo stubbornly refused to throw form players into the starting XV, favouring the tried, the tested and the tired.