Brian O'Driscoll, Jamie Heaslip and Jonathan Sexton have all agreed new contracts with Leinster and Ireland.
Speculation had linked Heaslip and Sexton with moves to France, while the move clears up uncertainty about the future of Ireland captain O'Driscoll.
O'Driscoll's contract takes him to the end of the 2012-13 season, while Sexton's runs until June 2013. Heaslip is now contracted until June 2014.
As well as ending speculation about his retirement, O'Driscoll's new deal also puts the 32-year-old in the frame for the Lions Tour to Australia in 2013, 12 years after making his Lions debut against the same country.
According to O'Driscoll, the continuing development at Leinster was key to his decison.
He said; 'Playing in Ireland with Leinster for my entire career has been all the more enjoyable knowing that my rugby goals I have achieved to date were with an organisation that has really grown at the same time as me over the last ten years.
Declan Kidney has selected Leinster duo Fergus McFadden and Luke Fitzgerald and Munster's Tomás O'Leary in his backline to face Italy in Ireland's RBS 6 Nations opener in Rome on Saturday.
Kidney lost five experienced players in the wing and full-back positions in the runup to the Six Nations. He has picked Fitzgerald in his favoured full-back position for the first time at international level.
McFadden, who was drafted in to the squad from the 'A' panel last week, will win his first cap on the right wing with Munster's Keith Earls picked on the other side.
Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll are the centre pairing, with O'Driscoll to captain the side.
O'Leary, who was initially not picked in the main squad is picked at scrum-half ahead of Eoin Reddan and Peter Stringer, with Jonathan Sexton set to start at out-half. Sexton's regular provincial partner Eoin Reddan is on the bench, along with Ronan O'Gara and Paddy Wallace.
Sebastien Chabal has been left out of the France team to face Scotland on Saturday in their Six Nations opener.
Imanol Harinordoquy was selected ahead of Racing Metro's number eight who was named among the substitutes for Saturday's game at the Stade de France.
The main absentee from the 23-man group is centre Yannick Jauzion.
Coach Marc Lievremont has selected Maxime Mermoz instead.
Damien Traille, used as a fly-half during November's tests, has been named fullback.
France team to face Scotland at the Stade de France, Saturday, 5 Februay, kick-off 5.00pm:
Damien Traille, Yoann Huget, Aurelien Rougerie, Maxime Mermoz, Maxime Medard, Francois Thrinh-Duc, Morgan Parra, Imanol Harinordoquy, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Lionel Nallet, Julien Pierre, Nicolas Mas, William Servat, Thomas Domingo.
Substitutes: Guilhem Guirado, Luc Ducalcon, Jerome Thion, Sebastien Chabal, Dimitri Yachvili, David Skrela, Clement Poitrenaud.
Gavin Duffy, Tomas O'Leary and Kevin McLaughlin have been called up from the Ireland Wolfhounds to a 26-man Ireland squad to begin final preparations ahead of the opening game of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against Italy.
There are no fresh injury concerns for the Ireland team after last week's camp in Limerick and the Ireland Wolfhounds game against Scotland.
The only change to the squad is the inclusion of Duffy, O'Leary and McLaughlin.
The Ireland team to play Italy will be announced this Tuesday, while the Ireland Wolfhounds squad to face the England Saxons in Ravenhill on Friday night will also be announced on the same day.
