Ireland 'cheat all the time'

Morgan Parra, the France scrum-half, right, arrives at a training in Marcoussis yesterday ahead of their game against Ireland.

The France scrum-half Morgan Parra said he has little admiration for "cheating" Ireland and is confident of coming out on top in their Six Nations match in Paris today. Marc Lievremont's team started their campaign with a comfortable 18-9 win over Scotland at Murrayfield last Sunday but can expect a sterner test of their title credentials when the Irish visit the Stade de France.

Ireland back Keith Earls said recently that they would not hesitate to cheat in order to win today, something which Parra claimed the Irish do anyway. "They cheat every weekend," he said. "So that won't be a surprise. They have experienced players who can do so. "We dissected the video very well. There's not a moment when they're not cheating." The Grand Slam champions are undefeated in their past 12 matches but Parra said that run will be brought to an end in a match many believe will decide the outcome of this year's tournament.

"The Irish have a great team, with a Munster spine, but I am not impressed," he said. "We can be by certain players but not in general by their team. "How many matches have they gone without defeat? Twelve, 13? Well fine, that will finish at 12 this Saturday. "To win you shouldn't respect your opponents too much. "If you respect them too much, if there's too much admiration, then we can't be above them.

"Personally I don't have admiration for anyone I'll be facing. "But careful, that doesn't prevent respect. They have gone 12 matches without defeat after all. But it's respect not admiration." The Ireland coach Declan Kidney has said flanker Stephen Ferris will be fit to face the French, despite sitting out training yesterday. "Stephen is fine, he's been charging around in training but we wanted to hold him back a bit," said Kidney.

Stephen Jones has said Wales cannot even contemplate defeat in today's game against Scotland in Cardiff following last weekend's 30-17 defeat to England. "We have to look at ourselves," said the fly-half, who will make his 85th Test match appearance today. "We have a top-draw set-up, and it is about us players delivering. "When you lose, you know things haven't gone your way as a team and you have under-achieved.

"We have to win, we have to be successful - we have to be." Scotland also go in to the game looking for their first win. "The good thing about the Six Nations is you get a short turnaround to go out there and put things right," the Scotland winger Thom Evans said. "What bigger game to play than Wales at the Millennium Stadium?" Marco Bortolami and Andrea Masi have been recalled to Italy's side for tomorrow's match against England after coach Nick Mallett made two changes to his line-up for the match.

Mallett was forced to bring in former captain Bortolami because lock Carlo Antonio Del Fava will be out for at least four weeks following a knee injury in training. * With agencies Wales v Scotland, 6pm, France v Ireland, 8.30pm, Both on Aljazeera Sport +3