94 - This World Cup encounter will be the 94th time Ireland and France have contested a Rugby Test Match. Ireland won the first meeting 19-8 in Lansdowne Road in 1909. Since then France have claimed victory in 55 encounters.
31 - The most points Ireland have ever scored in a match against France. Ronan O'Gara, Donnacha O'Callaghan, Gordon D'Arcy and Andrew Trimble all scored tries in a bizarre 2006 Six Nations Game in Paris. The home side went to sleep after a first half blitz, but managed to hold on for a 43-31 victory.
23 - The average number of points Ireland have lost to France in the previous three World Cup meetings. Current French coach Philippe Saint-André scored a try in Les Blues' 36-12 quarter final victory in Durban in 1995. The sides met again in the last 8, eight years later, when Freddy Michalak kicked four conversions and four penalties during a 43-21 French victory in Melbourne. A Ronan O'Gara drop goal was the only score Ireland recorded during a 25-3 defeat at the Stade de France in 2007.
16 - The number of Irish players in the current squad that have never lost to France. Peter O'Mahony, Conor Murray, Simon Zebo and Devin Toner are among those, although the Leinster lock says he has tasted French defeat at Under 21 level.
11 - The Millennium Stadium has been the scene of many great Irish victories. France knocked the All Blacks out of the 2007 World Cup in Cardiff. The sides will however be meeting in the Welsh capital for the first time. It will also be the 11th venue to host an Ireland-France encounter. Ireland have been entertained at the Stade des France, the Parc des Princes, Colombes and Bordeaux. Lansdowne Road has hosted the most games in Ireland, along with Croke Park and Ravenhill. The sides also played at the Mardyke in Cork in 1913.
8 - Toulouse winger Vincent Clerc has scored a French record of 34 international tries. Eight of those have come against Ireland, more than any other team. The now 34 year old scored the late try that denied Ireland victory in the first ever game at Croke Park. He scored twice in the 2007 World Cup encounter, and three times in twenty minutes when the teams met in Paris five months later. Luckily for Ireland Clerc has not played for France since 2013.
7 - The number of times Ireland and France have drawn. There was nothing between the sides when they met in both the 2012 and 2013 Six Nations Championships. A draw on Sunday would be good enough for Ireland to top Pool D as Joe Schmidt's men have a better points difference of twelve and have scored two more tries. That is as long as France are not the only team to score a bonus point.
5 - Ireland are aiming to extend their unbeaten run against France to 5 matches. Six is the record, but that came to an end in 1920. Brian O'Driscoll's famous hat trick in Paris in 2000 ended the horror run of 15 consecutive defeats to France, which stretched back to a 15 all draw in 1985.
6 - Ireland did not score a try in this year's Six Nations encounter at the Aviva Stadium. Instead they kicked a fixture record of six penalties to win the match 18-11.
2 - The number of points Ireland will win this match by, according to the handicap betting market.
