Schmidt: Title already on line

Joe Schmidt effectively called tomorrow’s clash with France a must-win game for Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations title hopes and that tells you all you need to know about his selection decisions.

“We’re very much focused on this week and, if we can get a result, we stay in the hunt, and if we don’t then I think it would be very hard to be at the top of the tree in six weeks’ time,” Schmidt said yesterday, as part of his response to concerns about Johnny Sexton’s potential workload for club and country over the coming weeks.

It may only be round two of the 2015 championship but, after a less-than-sparkling winning start to their title defence in Rome, Schmidt knows his champions must up the ante back on home turf in the Aviva Stadium against a French side showing signs of life at last.