All-Ireland League still a field of dreams

It says everything about the fractured nature of this season’s Six Nations championship that Wales could well be celebrating a Triple Crown success before France take to the field in Murrayfield for their second game of the tournament.

Ireland have been equally compromised by events, or more accurately non-events, at the Stade de France while the Welsh could yet be the biggest beneficiaries from the Paris fiasco. They could well be playing for the Grand Slam on the last day of the tournament in Cardiff when France will be negotiating a fourth test on the bounce.

Factor in the fact that the majority of the French squad were involved in another bruising round of Top 14 action in the French Championship over the weekend and you wonder what state they will be in by the time they arrive at the Millennium Stadium.