France, March 7 -- France head coach Fabien Galthie warned his players they face an immense challenge in their Six Nations clash against reigning champions Ireland on Saturday in Dublin.

Galthie's men go into the match at the Aviva Stadium in second place in the Six Nations table,three points behind Ireland.

Victory for France would put them in the driving seat ahead of the final game on 15 March in Saint-Denis against Scotland.

Success for Ireland would set them up to become the first nation to win three consecutive crowns since 2000 when Italy joined the competition to make it the Six Nations championships.

"It's true that this match is special," Galthie said. "There's so much at stake. We're all aware of that. It's what we wanted a...