Scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili has been ruled out of France's Six Nations showdown with Ireland this weekend and will be replaced by Morgan Parra.

Yachvili: Ruled out

Yachvili - who started the 30-12 win over Italy - had been named as part of an unchanged back division by France coach Philippe Saint-Andre for Saturday's Stade de France showdown, but the Biarritz man has been sidelined by a back problem.

The 31-year-old is suffering with acute lumbago which has not responded to treatment.

"I don't feel at 100 per cent and I think it's more reasonable to rest and recuperate in a bid to be back as quickly as possible to prepare for the next challenges with my club and France," Yachvili stated.

As a result Parra - who started last October's World Cup final at fly-half for Les Bleus - will step up from the bench to take the number nine shirt.

Saint-Andre has called up Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Depuy to take Parra's spot on the replacements bench.

France team: Maxime Medard (Toulouse); Vincent Clerc (Toulouse), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Julien Malzieu (Clermont); Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse, capt); Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Pape (Stade Français); Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Dimitry Szarzewski (Stade Français), Jean Baptiste Poux (Toulouse).

Replacements: William Servat (Toulouse), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Lionel Nallet (Racing-Metro), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont), Julien Dupuy (Stade Francais), Lionel Beauxis (Toulouse), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan).