Six Nations: Jeremy Loughman will start Ireland’s Six Nations opener in Paris but James Lowe and Tadhg Furlong miss out

Prop Jeremy Loughman will make his first Ireland appearance in two years against France in the opening match of the 2026 Six Nations Championship on Thursday, but there is no place in the starting team for James Lowe, James Ryan or Tadhg Furlong.

With Ireland’s top three players, Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Puel, missing through injury for the match at Stade de France (20:10 GMT), 30-year-old Loughman will play at Test level for the first time since the 2024 Six Nations and will make his first international start since November 2022.

Loughman’s Munster team-mate Michael Milne, who made just two appearances for Georgia and Portugal in July, will be the back-up on the bench.

With Hugo Keenan sidelined due to a broken hand sustained in training last week, Jimmy Osborne will start at full-back in his first match since Ireland’s clash with Japan in November.

Osborne was expected to take part in the shootout for the No.15 shirt with Jacob Stockdale, but the Ulster player instead takes the spot usually occupied by James Lowe on the left wing.

Axing British and Irish lion Lowe wasn’t the only big decision made by coach Andy Farrell, with Connacht’s Cian Prendergast wearing a six in Ryan Bird’s absence.

With Tadhg Byrne, who was another option to start on the blindside, joining Joe McCarthy in the second row, it means there is no place in the starting line-up for James Ryan as he is one of six strikers on the bench.