Prop Jeremy Loughman will make his first Ireland appearance in two years against France in the opening game of the 2026 Six Nations on Thursday, but there is no place in the starting team for James Lowe, James Ryan or Tadhg Furlong.
With Ireland’s three first-choice loose-heads, Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle, all missing through injury for the game at the Stade de France (20:10 GMT), the 30-year-old Loughman will play at Test level for the first time since the Six Nations of 2024 and make his first international start since November 2022.
Loughman’s Munster team-mate Michael Milne, who won his only two previous caps against Georgia and Portugal in July, will be the loose-head back-up on the bench.
With Hugo Keenan missing because of the fractured hand he sustained in training last week, Jamie Osborne starts at full-back in what will be his first action since Ireland faced Japan in November.
Osborne had been expected to be in a straight shootout for the 15 jersey with Jacob Stockdale, but the Ulster player instead takes the place usually occupied by James Lowe on the left wing.
The exclusion of British and Irish Lion Lowe is not the only big call made by head coach Andy Farrell, with Connacht’s Cian Prendergast wearing six in the absence of Ryan Baird.
With Tadhg Beirne, who was another option to start at blind-side, joining Joe McCarthy in the second row, that means there is no place in the starting line-up for James Ryan who is one of six forwards on the bench.
