Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has made just one change to his starting XV for Saturday's Guinness Women's Six Nations clash with France, with Dorothy Wall recalled to the second row after dropping to the bench against Italy. The lock pairing of Wall and Fiona Tuite replaces Ciara Cooney, who suffered a shoulder injury in the round two victory in Galway. The backline remains unchanged following their free-flowing performance that yielded nine tries against Italy.

Stacey Flood continues at full-back with Beibhinn Parsons - who scored a hat-trick against Italy - retained on the right wing. Robyn O'Connor keeps her spot on the left wing after a try-scoring debut in Galway. The half-back partnership of Dannah O'Brien and Emily Lane, who has contributed three try assists in this tournament, also stays intact. Aoife Dalton and Nancy McGillivray continue in midfield.

Bemand insisted the France game will not define Ireland's championship hopes. "In the grand scheme of things, I don't think it does [make or break the championship], with the start of a new World Cup cycle," he said. "The ability to get a good start is going to be really important for us." Ireland have been vocal about their ambition to break into the top two, but Bemand warned: "France are a different entity in France. They're going to have a full stadium behind them. So we know it's the toughest place to go."