Ireland's French test a game 'you live for' - Hansen

Wing Mack Hansen says the Ireland squad are excited by the challenge of welcoming France to Dublin for Saturday's highly-anticipated Six Nations game (14:15 GMT).

The hosts top the championship table with 14 points, three ahead of the French, and are targeting a historic third outright title in succession.

The pair have developed a keen rivalry in recent seasons, finishing first and second in each of the previous three Six Nations campaigns, while Saturday's encounter will have the added emotion for Ireland of being a final home Test for retiring centurions Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy.

"One to 23 are world class players. It's a big challenge and we're excited for it," said Hansen.

"These are the sort of games that you live for, being able to send some guys off with their last home game and put a stamp on the Six Nations.

"It's really exciting and I think we're ready for the challenge."

The 26-year-old Connacht player, who signed a new contract this week through to 2027, added that the squad knew this was to be final Six Nations for Murray, Healy and O'Mahony before the announcement and that they have attempted to make "this whole campaign special" for the trio.

"They're such big parts of the team. Talking about it before, they bring so much experience on the field, but off the field as well. They bring so much craic, laughter and good times.

"It's more about making it as special for them as possible as a whole, the whole campaign.

"Obviously, yeah, we're going to try and get a win for them."

Ireland hope skipper Caelan Doris and his fellow back row Jack Conan will be available for the game after knee and back injuries respectively.

Tight-head prop Tadhg Furlong has not played since Leinster's win over La Rochelle on 12 January with calf and hamstring problems but took part in a scrum session on Tuesday.

The side's scrum coach John Fogarty said that Wednesday's session would be the "big day" to determine the 32-year-old's availability to face Les Bleus.

"It was good to see Tadhg in a scrum, a fully-contested scrum," said Fogarty.

"He's full of energy and he took part in the whole session. [Wednesday] is another step so we'll see how he goes."