The 2026 6 Nation starts on Thursday evening in Paris with Ireland facing France, the strange kick off time is because the Winter Olympics from Milano Cortina begins over the next couple of days and the 6 Nations didn’t want to face a clash and so it’s still Paris in spring time but on a Thursday evening rather than Saturday afternoon or evening.
Ireland have selected there 23 to battle France with Jeremy Loughman facing his biggest challenge in green along with Cian Prendergast starting at blindside with Sam Prendergast at 10. Stuart Mc Closkey starting alongside Garry Ringrose with Jacob Stockdale getting in on the left wing a first 6 Nations start since 2021 for Stockdale.
Injury has forced Farrell into changes aplenty and that is a strange thing to write but Farrell has resisted changes over his time as Ireland Head Coach and would most likely stuck with the tried and trusted yet again only for injury to make him change tack.
At loosehead, Ireland have two inexperienced men but they have scrummaged against French sides at club level and will draw on that experience in the white hot atmosphere of the Stade De France on opening night.
Ireland had a mixed 2025 although they only lost 1 game in last season’s 6 Nations on the final day at home to France, it was more the manner of the loss rather than the defeat itself that annoyed Irish supporters.
Ireland have had to make changes but that is no bad thing and we will see certain players get the chance to stick up there hand for continued selection over the coming months. Andy Farrell resists change but he also needs to start to make the move away from the tried and trusted players with 1 eye on 2027 in Australia.
There is still a real core of experience in the 23, so those players with only single figures in terms of caps will lean on those few experienced heads for guidance when the pressure comes on Thursday.
France have had plenty of disruption themselves with Unini Antonio having to announce his retirement due to a heart attack at training, Thibault Flaminent won’t be involved due to personal reasons but could be back for round 2 or 3. Form or lack thereof sees the trio of Aldritt, Penaud and Fickou all left out but some really exciting players will be there in their place.
Since the RWC semi-final loss to South Africa, Fabien Galthie has tried to bring through plenty of young players and has toured New Zealand with a much changed squad in summer 2025.
What he has done is try to build strength in depth but in certain places that has been lacking with tighthead being a position if concern so while Ireland wondered who would wear the number 1 jersey, France have wondered who might be wearing the number 3 shirt in the long term.
France will still feel they have the match for Ireland on opening night and with Ireland’s ongoing issues as to who is the first choice 10, France will look to pounce on that type of uncertainty and play an attacking brand of rugby coupled with a strong showing upfront.
Antoine Dupont will be back at 9 and “Le Petite General” will want to hit the ground running and pick up his good form in a French shirt that he has shown while playing for Toulouse this season. He has signed a long term deal with Toulouse to stay with them until 2031, a deal of that length is normally unheard of in rugby with the best you can normally hope for in Ireland would be a 3 year deal. It shows how much faith Toulouse have in him and they hope he will lead them to more trophies in the next 5 years.
The smart money is a France win but I sat here 2 years ago following on from the heart breaking defeat to New Zealand in the 2023 RWC quarter final and said similar only for Ireland to come out and give one of the finest performances of the Andy Farrell era and blow France away on the way to winning the title in 2024.
On this occasion, it will be backs against the wall job and while it looks unlikely Ireland will repeat the win of 2 years ago, It is still the first game and both sides will sense they can steal a march on the others by winning. My heart says Ireland but I just think France might have too much in the pack for Ireland to handle and win by between 7 and 10 points….