Where the respective countries are at is reflected in the bizarre situation where a World Cup semi-finalist is hosting a side knocked out in the quarter-final and it’s the latter who are unbackable favourites.

Whatever about the state of the game, surely we can’t forget why we fell in love with rugby?

Two and a half weekends into a five-game schedule in the Six Nations, it’s timely to take stock of some issues and trends, observations and concerns. For no reason better than I don’t want to start with referees, let’s look at Ireland first…and last.

After 24 minutes in the Velodrome, Jack Crowley misses a kickable penalty. Five minutes later, his international career is launched. The Tadhg Beirne try is a thing of beauty but there’s something more important than the aesthetic.

Sometimes it comes back to the old riddle: you want a player with talent and a moderate work rate, or a grafter with limited talent? (Answer: well, he has to have the talent…)

France is where it’s at right now. Unlike other major rugby leagues in world rugby, it’s all in the one country, it’s a unique lifestyle and culture and there’s a lot of security in the fact that players are guaranteed their pay cheque every month.

My opportunity to offer a personal greeting to Leinster Sunday is somewhat compromised by the one-match ban imposed by a Top 14 disciplinary committee and for that decision, I can only offer the charity of my silence

There’s an old Irish saying: If you’ve a reputation for getting up early in the morning, you can stay in bed all day. This now seems to be a cant – O’Gara is at it again – and it’s repugnant nonsense.

The pain for Ian Foster, his management team and squad of players is at a level this columnist, or few of our readers, can imagine, but I am about to have a go at anyway.

My sense that South Africa will retain their title didn’t sour the ambience.