Donal Lenihan: Fabien Galthie has inspired French renaissance

With the nightmare of the World Cup in Japan finally consigned to history as the Andy Farrell era of Irish rugby got underway, it is somewhat ironic that the new boss’s very first tournament will have a direct influence on Ireland’s next World Cup campaign in France in three years’ time.

Amid the media frenzy that marks the opening round of Six Nations action, the announcement last week by World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont caught many by surprise and passed largely unnoticed.