Current Grand Slam champions Ireland begin their Guinness Six Nations title defense against pre-tournament favorites France in Marseille.
The absences of Antoine Dupont and Johnny Sexton will be notable as both sides enter a new era on the back of a painful exit from the Rugby World Cup.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of Friday’s fascinating Championship drawdown.
World Cup hangover? The deciding factor for a Grand Slam?
France vs. Ireland was widely touted as a potential World Cup final match. The two countries were among the top teams in Test rugby in the run-up to the tournament, with their campaigns ending within 24 hours of a crushing defeat in the quarter-finals. Ireland lost 28-24 to New Zealand in Paris, ending a 17-game winning streak, before losing 29-28 to eventual champions South Africa in the same city. Both players will be eager to respond to those disappointments with a mouth-watering match that has proven to be the ultimate Grand Slam decider over the past two years.
absent star
Dupont’s decision to focus on France’s sevens squad for this year’s Paris Olympics has stripped the championship of its starring role. The scrum-half has been named player of the tournament in three of the last four years. Maxime Luk will wear the number 9 shirt in his place, while Gregory Aldritt will be captain. Meanwhile, Ireland must move on following the retirement of their talismanic former captain Sexton. The 38-year-old, the Six Nations’ all-time leading scorer with 566 goals, left a void on and off the field. Flanker Peter O’Mahony will become Ireland’s new captain, with Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley and Harry Byrne competing for the flyhalf role.
Sexton’s long-term successor
In the words of Andy Farrell, Crowley is “the next unranked taxi” in the race to replace Sexton long-term. The Munster player was a substitute at the World Cup and was selected to make his full Six Nations international debut. Crowley’s only previous appearance in the Championship was a three-minute cameo against Italy last February, but he has only started three of his nine caps. However, the 24-year-old is the most experienced out-half in his country’s 34-man squad. Frawley has only played 40 minutes in Tests since coming on the bench, while his Leinster teammate Byrne has not featured at international level since coming on as a substitute for 56 minutes against America and Argentina in 2021.
unfamiliar environment
The Stade de France in Paris became Ireland’s second home during last autumn’s World Cup. Farrell’s side had hoped to play five games in a row there but had to settle for three after losing to the All Blacks. The Irish won’t be returning to Saint-Denis, the scene of memorable victories over South Africa and Scotland, any time soon, as France will be playing tournament matches away from the capital this year for the upcoming Olympics. The Stade Velodrome will be an unfamiliar environment for many of Farrell’s side, with the Leinster squad suffering a heart-breaking last defeat to La Rochelle in the 2022 Champions Cup final.
McCarthy and Nash get their chance.
In addition to Crawley’s selection, Farrell also handed Test rookies Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash a place on their Six Nations debuts. The head coach has shown huge confidence in 22-year-old Leinster Lock McCarthy by selecting him ahead of the experienced pair of James Ryan and Ian Henderson. Meanwhile, Munster winger Nash has a chance to take advantage of the misfortune of injured star player Mack Hansen. The 26-year-old won his only cap as a substitute in the World Cup pre-game against Italy, but is in excellent form in his hometown. “All you need in life is a chance, and that’s a big chance for Calvin,” Farrell said.