Tommy Martin: Ireland's past, present and future all perfectly lined up

Captain Evan O’Connell, nephew of Paul and veteran of last year’s success, claims the U20s are “next moment focused”, one of the senior team’s favourite catchphrases under Andy Farrell.

ALL SYSTEMS GO: Ireland's Robbie Henshaw and Jack Crowley. Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho

IF a rugby-hating meteorite had crashed into the Marriott Hotel Velodrome in Marseille late on Friday night, a thousand caps worth of rugby ledgebag would have gone up in smoke.

The hotel, a Dan Sheehan lineout throw away from the entrance to the Stade Velodrome, had been booked up by savvy broadcasters tipped off early that France would be taking the Six Nations show on the road this season.