winger James Lowe has been ruled out of his side's clash with France after limping out of the warm-up. The 32-year-old appeared to twist himself awkwardly in a tackling drill and immediately fell to the floor before rolling about in pain.

Two members of the Irish medical staff rushed onto the field to attend to the player. He remained on the deck for around two minutes before being helped to his feet but did not seem able to start walking immediately. Eventually, he was helped off the field, and was withdrawn from the starting XV.

In the ITV studio, former Irish international Rory Best assessed the potential blow, saying: "It's worrying. Looking at the pictures of him walking down the tunnel, it seems his leg or his back went.

"That is going to be massive for Ireland. He has been sensational for the team. They may have a decision now and maybe they will bring Calvin Nash in."

Sure enough, the Leinster star did not emerge from the tunnel when the teams came out for the national anthems. It was then officially confirmed that he had dropped out of the starting line-up, with Jamie Osbourne moving to the left wing in his place and Nash playing on the right.

Irish management told Six Nations officials that Lowe had suffered a back spasm. The development has left Simon Easterby without one if his key players for a match that many perceive will define the 2025 Six Nations Championship.

Lowe turned in a man-of-the-match display on the opening weekend f and scored the following week in the win over Scotland. He was also a key figure in Cardiff two weeks ago, expertly setting up the match-winning try for Osbourne.

Victory will leave Ireland on the brink of a Grand Slam and a third straight Championship win. However, defeat could yet see France top the table by tonight, which would also open the door for ahead of their game with Italy tomorrow.