Six Nations openers don't get much more enticing than France v Ireland on a Friday night in Marseille.
The two standout teams in Europe meet off the back of a winter which brought bitter World Cup disappointment for both, and the Six Nations provides a perfect opportunity to bounce back and claim more silverware.
In both 2022 and 2023, the victors of this game went on to claim Grand Slam glory, with the losers a close second. They are one-for-one in that time, and both sides will be desperate to lift their spirits after last October's crushing World Cup quarter-final weekend.
Ahead of France v Ireland, Ronan O'Gara spoke to Balls.ie and the Irish media to preview the Six Nations. The legendary ex-Ireland fly-half noted a major French weakness exposed by South Africa in that quarter-final defeat which Ireland could look to exploit on Friday night.
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France v Ireland: Ronan O'Gara points out France's weakness in aerial battle
Given his role as head coach of La Rochelle, O'Gara was right in the midst of the French devastation last October, as they exited the World Cup on home soil after years of being touted as favourites.
Speaking on Tuesday to launch Guinness' Six Nations campaign, O'Gara said that he felt the aerial battle was the crucial area in which France had lost out against the Springboks, and likened their inability to deal with South Africa's kicking game to being "punched in the face":
They lost the aerial battle badly. They had a plan but, as the expression goes, everyone's got a plan until they get punched in the face. France got three punches in the face and they got absolutely obliterated by the South African kick threat. They were going for balls with their eyes closed, they were batting it back and presented tries for South Africa.
Obviously, it works well in training when you're going up against bags or guys who are as good as you, but what separates South Africa is their emphasis on [their kicking game]. They kick for a reason: they're better than any other team in the air. And they get reward from it. And people kind of go, 'Woah, this is happening in a game.' And you're like, 'Yeah, no shit it's happening in a game.'
With Jack Crowley's dynamic in-game kicking set to become a new element of Ireland's gameplay in this year's Six Nations, one can only assume Andy Farrell's side will seek to exploit the weakness exposed by South Africa in the World Cup.
Our team for a Friday night opener in Marseille! 👊#TeamOfUs
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Crowley starts for Ireland on Friday, in the first game of the post-Johnny Sexton era. O'Gara told us that he feels no fear for the contenders to take the number ten shirt from Sexton long-term, and Crowley is certainly not lacking in confidence.
Ireland are not alone in experiencing change at half-back, however, with France's dynamic duo of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack both missing for this year's Six Nations.
The comparative inexperience of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jallibert as their replacement pairing may seem like another weakness for Ireland to exploit, but O'Gara was keen to talk up the unfamiliar French half-back pairing.
The Corkman shared his belief that, should Ireland nullify the influence of Lucu and Jallibert, the game is there for the taking:
Ireland will go after Lucu, which is normal when the best player in the world isn’t playing at the weekend. It will be an opportunity not only for a playing point of view but a belief point of view. His half-back partner is Ntamack and he isn’t there, so it is a very unproven partnership they have started.
But, if Lucu and Jailbert get their tails up, watch out because they can tear up anyone. If Ireland can keep them quiet they can probably win the match.
Even amid post-World Cup disappointment, it's hard to recall an opening fixture with as much draw as this mega clash under the lights on Friday.
With the Stade de France out of action as Paris prepares to host the Summer Olympics, the cauldron of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille is the venue for the Six Nations opener.
28 May 2022; La Rochelle players, including Will Skelton, celebrate with their head coach Ronan O'Gara, second from left, after the Heineken Champions Cup Final match between Leinster and La Rochelle at Stade Velodrome in Marseille, France. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
O'Gara has fond memories of the venue, having coached La Rochelle to a dramatic victory in the 2022 Champions Cup final there, and he thinks the Irish side will relish the opportunity to play in a fresh arena, rather than being daunted by the atmosphere:
As a sportsperson, this is what you want to do, you want to play in the best stadia in the world. For me, it’s up there because of the atmosphere. The mentality in the south of France is very different to the north of France, so there’ll be passionate rugby people down there as well.
There will be bands, there’ll be a brilliant atmosphere around the ground, it’ll be a treat for Irish fans. But, also, as a player, it’s very different going to the Aviva with a home crowd…there’s a massive satisfaction as a sportsperson if you can do the job away from home.
If Ireland were to get a result this weekend, it would be a bigger statement than they have done in the past.
And O'Gara is in no doubt that, for the third year in a row, the outcome of France v Ireland will define the outcome of the Six Nations:
The two better teams are playing [on Friday] by a considerable distance. I think Ireland and France are ahead of the other nations. I think that’s been over a long period of time, too. You have the two best teams playing on Friday night, 100%.
Bring it on. Kick-off on the south coast of France is at 8pm Irish time, and the game is live on Virgin Media One.
Guinness, the official sponsors of the Guinness Six Nations, has enlisted Irish Rugby legend and La Rochelle Head Coach Ronan O’Gara to deliver a rousing team talk ahead of Ireland Men’s opening fixture against France in Marseille on February 2nd.
Guinness is providing fans with the ‘l’opportunité’ to win exclusive, money-can’t-buy prizes, including match tickets and unique match-day experiences as part of the Guinness Giveaway. To enter, simply visit the link here.
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