If French get their ducks in a row...

There is a strange sense of Groundhog Day about Ireland’s opening two fixtures in this season’s RBS Six Nations Championship.

Playing against Wales first up on Sunday will undoubtedly rekindle memories of what might have been in October’s traumatic World Cup quarter-final. Ireland had to win that night for the right to play France in the semi-final who, as we all know, went within a whisker of beating New Zealand in the decider.

This time out, regardless of what happens against Wales, there will be no escaping the French and a trip to Paris six days later to face a side, who under new management, could even pose a more formidable challenge than the one faced by Graham Henry’s men in Auckland.