It's the only Ireland game that BBC will have throughout the entire Six Nations but someone in the BBC Rugby team had a cracking idea back when the punditry teams were being drawn up. Get Paul O'Connell.
Ireland vs France in Paris. What better time to get the former Ireland captain into the studio for his punditry debut. He'd be looking ahead to his comeback from injury and he'd have plenty of insight into the Top 14 and what the French side had to offer. And that's ignoring the significant amount he'd surely have to say about Joe Schmidt's side.
It was a great idea then but now that the deeply regrettable news has broken that O'Connell has been forced to retire, Irish fans are going to be tuning in in their droves even more so than we would have been before hand.
O'Connell will be in the BBC studio alongside Keith Wood this weekend and we can only assume RTÉ's share of the market is going to be hit an awful lot more than it was when ITV hosted the Ireland vs Wales game last weekend. The preview for the game on the Beeb's website, sets it up quite well.
This game, against Guy Noves' new-look French side, will provide a stern test to Ireland's 2016 Six Nations credentials, and determine whether they can win three successive titles for the first time in Irish history.
Joining Gabby in the studio are Keith Wood, Thomas Castaignede and Paul O'Connell. Match commentary comes from Eddie Butler and Brian Moore.
Thanks for that BBC, don't mind if we do.
ITV were able to call on the significant talents of Brian O'Driscoll, Gareth Thomas, Shane Williams and Gordon D'Arcy last weekend but, with the greatest respect, that's nothing compared to having Paul O'Connell give his thoughts on Ireland vs France so soon after his retirement from the game.
RTÉ will no doubt still have the lion's share of the Irish market in Saturday but if they do see a drop off in the numbers we have a fairly good idea where they'll be going.
