Andy stated on Wed night in Connacht hotel that Murphy would feature at hooker at some stage on Sat !!

Thanks Salmson. That explains Copeland's absence in recent weeks then. Boyle will do a good job at 8.

Lloyd isn't in the epcr squad and can't be added. Unless Kerins is fit Blade will be in the 23.

Copeland isn't fit either but Boyle is.

With the well-deserved call-ups to the Irish squad this week, it'll be very interesting to see what kind of side Andy goes with for this weekend's clash. He had already said that Jack Carty would sit this one out, and with an eye on the crucial Cardiff game the week after (for which none of the players called into the Irish squad will feature) I wonder will we go with something like this for Bordeaux?

15 Leader. 14 Kelliher. 13 Tom Farrell. 12 Bundee. 11 Healy. 10 Horwitz. 9 Mitchell.
1 Buckley. 2 Delahunt. 3 Bealham. 4 Dillane. 5 Roux. 6 Butler. 7 Connelly. 8 Copeland.

16 Heffernan. 17 McCabe. 18 Carey. 19 Cannon. 20 Fainga'a. 21 Lloyd. 22 Fitzgerald. 23 Godwin.