All eyes will be on Marseille for heavyweight opener but Scotland, with Finn Russell pulling the strings, are dark horses
It used to be boxing, not rugby union, that rushed to reunite rival opponents at the earliest opportunity. Friday’s opening contest of this year’s Six Nations Championship, from a promoter’s perspective, certainly ticks every box office requirement: a thunderous prime-time eliminator denied to millions less than three months ago. Roll up, roll up for the Rugby World Cup final that never was.
France versus Ireland in Marseille – the War on the Côte d’Azur? – is certainly a bold and punchy piece of first-round scheduling. On the one hand, the tournament organisers risk premature exhilaration. On the other, their competition will grab everyone by the lapels right from the bell. Even in South Africa and New Zealand, who did supply the World Cup finalists, there will be no shortage of interest.