Republic of Ireland v France: all you need to know

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY Republic of Ireland v France, Tallaght Stadium, 7.45pm.

TV Live coverage on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 7.30pm.

RADIO Live commentary on RTÉ 2fm, with coverage starting on Game On from 6pm.

ONLINE Live match tracker on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Updates and match footage on RTÉ Soccer Twitter and RTÉ Sport Facebook.

WEATHER A unsettled day is forecast in Tallaght on Thursday with strong breezes and the likelihood of rain showers come kick-off. Not as warm as it has been in recent weeks with highs of 18c to 20c.

IRELAND LOOKING FOR A WINNING SEND-OFF With World Cup squad places now settled, the Republic of Ireland have one final tune-up before heading to Australia for the World Cup. They've not taken the easy option of looking for a feel-good victory against a weaker team and instead have opted for a game against one of the best teams in the world.

Ranked fifth in the FIFA World Rankings France will pose a significant challenge for Ireland but it's exactly what Vera Pauw’s charges need to prepare them for a very tough World Cup group.

Ireland go into the game off the back of a 3-2 victory over Zambia. Pauw’s charges looked nervous in that match as some players were perhaps too eager to make an impression to secure their seat on the plane.

With those decisions made, supporters will be hoping for a more confident and composed performance against a French side that will most likely dominate possession at Tallaght.

Whether or not Pauw starts with the side that she’ll name against Australia in Ireland’s World Cup opener is unclear but the odds are that the side that lines up versus France will be very similar to the XI that starts at Stadium Australia in two weeks’ time.

The manager admits that this game is