Ireland 'in for long night' if they fail to disrupt French set-piece, says Philippe Saint-André

The former Sale, Toulon and France head coach compared Farrell’s current squad unfavourably to the team which won in Marseille in 2024 but the former French captain also outlined the potential unpredictability of the 2026 Six Nations campaign

Ireland will need to be strong in the set piece says Saint-André. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Ireland could be in for a long night against France in Paris on Thursday night, Philippe Saint-André has warned, if Andy Farrell’s team fail to disrupt the Guinness Six Nations champions’ set-piece.

The former Sale, Toulon and France head coach believes Ireland are not the force they were two years ago when they stunned the French in the opening round of the 2024 championship with a 38-17 victory at Marseille’s Velodrome.