Six Nations 2022: France vs Ireland Betting Tips, Predictions, Odds.

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France host Ireland on Saturday in round two of the Six Nations in what is already being billed as a potential Grand Slam decider.

The pair both took maximum points first time out, with Ireland crushing Wales 29-7, while France followed up on Sunday with their own bonus point victory, beating Italy 37-10.

Now they meet under the Parisian lights for what could prove to be a gargantuan clash.

France vs Ireland Betting Odds

Hosts France lead the betting at 4/6 and with reason, having beaten Argentina, Georgia and New Zealand in the autumn, with their 40-25 success over the All Blacks in particular further prompting suggestions that they could be the team to beat when they host the 2023 World Cup.

Ireland are 7/5 to win in Paris having also kicked on from a successful autumn, in which they too beat the Kiwis, while the draw is 22/1.

France vs Ireland Team News

The big team news in the build-up to the match is that Ireland will be missing skipper Johnny Sexton through a hamstring injury. Joey Carbery comes in at fly-half, while second-row James Ryan takes over the captaincy.

Sexton's absence is a significant blow but there is a double boost on the bench with British & Irish Lions duo Iain Henderson and Robbie Henshaw back in the 23.

For France, Yoram Moefana comes into the centres in place of the injured Jonathan Danty, while Francois Cros replaces Dylan Cretin in the back-row.

Les Bleus have also made a tweak to their bench, with lock Thibaud Flament coming in to make it a six-two forwards-backs split on the bench.

France vs Ireland H2H

Ireland have largely had the upper hand between the two in recent years, winning six of the pair's last nine meetings. Before that, they couldn't be separated, drawing in both 2012 and 2013.

However, this fresh young French side have won the last two meetings. Les Bleus won 35-27 on the final night of the 2020 Championship in Paris, while they battled to a 15-13 victory in Dublin 12 months ago.

Overall, the two have met 100 times, with France winning on 58 occasions, Ireland on 35 and there's been a total of seven draws.

France vs Ireland Prediction

France to Win by 1-10 Points - BET NOW

odds

Five of the last six meetings between these two countries have been settled by 10 or less points and with little to split the teams, home advantage may prove the difference.

France lost to an inspired Scotland at home in 2021 but were plagued by injuries and seem a more settled side now. They also have arguably the world's best half-back combination in Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.

Ireland's usual halves of Jamison Gibson-Park and Sexton are as important to their side and like the Toulouse pair, also play together domestically at Leinster. However, with Sexton set to miss out on Saturday, Carbery will need to finally emerge from his shadow in the 10 shirt.

Coach Andy Farrell must have been tempted to start him alongside Munster clubmate Conor Murray but perhaps rightly, Gibson-Park gets the nod.

Injuries and illness mean Dupont and Ntamack haven't hit the heights since destroying New Zealand but they have a happy knack of rising to the occasion and with Sexton absent, France should have just enough.

Damian Penaud - Anytime Tryscorer - BET NOW

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Speaking of Dupont, his link-up with Damian Penaud for France's fourth try against Italy was sublime and it would be no surprise to see the wing cross again against Ireland.

He scored what proved to be the decisive try last year in Dublin, receiving Brice Dulin's offload before going over in the corner, and ended the 2021 Six Nations with three scores to his name.

Penaud has often featured at centre for Clermont, but coach Fabien Galthie, who played alongside Penaud's father Alain, clearly sees him as a finisher.

Despite not sharing his father's position of fly-half, Penaud has inherited his playmaker's nous, and combined with his pace and work rate, often comes up with the big plays.