Regan can hear the wolves at his door

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The 36-year-old hooker said: 'If you have a shocker, you're going to get booted out, simple as that. There's no sentiment in international sport. The point has been made to the senior people. There are good young players who will be more than happy to take your spot.

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Point to prove: Mark Regan wants to show he is not ready to retire yet

'I include myself in that. The only way to keep the wolves from the door is by performing. I don't want to retire. I don't want to go out on a low note, not three games into the Six Nations.

'Time is getting short for me but I'm not going to fall over and let them walk all over me.'

Regan recognises that his form has dipped since the World Cup and that he has to do something about it to avoid joining Andy Gomarsall, Josh Lewsey, Mathew Tait and Ben Kay, who have disappeared from the team and, in the first two instances, from the squad.

The Grand Old Man of the Six Nations won the first of his 45 caps in Paris 12 years ago but admitted: 'The plain truth is that we haven't been hitting the heights and that I'm not where I want to be. It's frustrating when you can't quite get yourself into the game the way you want to.'

Skipper Phil Vickery, back at the helm after sitting out the Italy match a fortnight ago because of a stomach bug, has demanded a different attitude from his team. 'We have to be harder on each other,' he said.

'The level we've been playing at is not acceptable. I believe we have the game to beat France.'

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll is due to have tests on his injured calf on Friday to determine if he is fit enough to take part in Saturday's showdown with Scotland at Croke Park.

The 29-year-old centre emerged unscathed from a light fitness session on Thursday but coach Eddie O'Sullivan was assailed by another headache as Girvan Dempsey picked up a knock on his left hip during training.

Geordan Murphy has been called back to Dublin to provide cover. He had been dropped from O'Sullivan's match-day squad after suffering a torrid time at the hands of Vincent Clerc in Paris 13 days ago and was due to play for Leicester this weekend.