Keith Earls is back in the Ireland side © Getty Images

Oh to visit Paris in the Spring, what a wonderful time to visit such a city. Great art, great food, great wine, and the city of romance...ideal for a weekend break, unless you're a travelling Irish rugby team.

Just twice in the past 60 years have Ireland taken a 'W' from French soil, 1972 and the year of our 'BOD' and saviour, 2000. Last Sunday, Declan Kidney saw his men slump to a better Welsh team for the third game in a row. Out powered, out played, and out manoeuvred - surely a change has to take place? Yes. Just one however, Keith Earls enters the fray at 13 and Fergus McFadden falls to the bench.

Besides Keith Earls, the Ireland team is place for place the same team that lost to Wales last week. In my humble opinion, one change is not enough. An unchanged pack and line up will mean Ireland will struggle to contain the French. Earls is weak defensively, having guys like Aurelien Rougerie, running at him is the last thing the Irish would want. Should France decide to run the ball Ireland will not cope, if it goes to the ground at least there is some hope of being able to slow the play down.

Ireland will need to cope with that running game for 80 minutes. Should they switch off in similar fashion to last Sunday, France will pummel the Irish try line over and over. Vincent Clerc’s first half hat-trick of 2008 may be just a memory, but the French winger also crushed Irish hopes in 2007 and is a player who does not need to be asked twice if he would like score. Julien Malzieu and Wesley Fofana are amongst the most dangerous runners in the game today, Trimble and Bowe will need to be at their sterling best in both attack and defence in order to give any hope of a positive result.

‘The Kiss Factor’ is also something that is significant in Ireland’s prospects this weekend. Coach Les Kiss has dual responsibility for defence and attack since the departure of Alan Gaffney, and with Kiss being a defensive maestro it is difficult to see how he can switch between shutting out and maximising scoring in the blink of an eye.

It is not an impossible task for Ireland to get a result in Stade de France, although history would show us that it is damn near as close to impossible as can be. Only the All Blacks have proved as daunting for Ireland in the past, but a win in Paris could give some hope to the Irish camp and fan. The all important win could also give Kidney some breathing space, discontent is mounting against the Cork native, so much so that Rob Kearney came out in the week and asked for blame to be placed on players and not coaches.

If we are to win Ireland’s back row will be vital. Heaslip, Ferris and O’Brien are among the best in the world in their respective positions but in the last two games against Wales no real force was seen from the trio. Legendary pundit, George Hook has led the call for change in the pack, heralding Munster’s uncapped Peter O’Mahony, as the logical choice for open side flanker.

The French back row will consist of Harinordoquy, Picamoles and Dusautoir. An inspiring troika if ever there was one, perhaps introducing an inexperienced O’Mahony would be ill advised against France but, Kidney will have to examine the team selection should the result go south on Saturday night.

A frozen pitch in Paris will be of the least concern to travelling fans. The cold snap in Europe may be severe but the Irish contingent will expect a much improved performance on last weekend’s defeat, no matter the conditions. Ireland will be the underdog and the wounds of the Wales match are still on the surface, but a wounded animal is often the most dangerous, here’s hoping there is plenty of fight left in the dog. Allez les Verts...

Danny Murray - @danjomurray