Overview
- France host Ireland at Stade de France on 5 February at 20:10 GMT, with live coverage on ITV in the UK, RTÉ in Ireland and France Télévisions, plus BBC Radio 5 Live commentary.
- The Thursday slot was chosen to steer clear of the Milan Winter Olympics opening ceremony scheduled for the following evening.
- France and Ireland have shared the last four championships, reflecting their recent dominance heading into this year’s curtain-raiser.
- ESPN’s pre-tournament power rankings list France first, England second and Ireland third based on current form and squad outlooks.
- Team news shapes expectations, with Antoine Dupont available for France and Ireland missing key figures including season-ending absentee Mack Hansen.