This the 2024 competition opener between France and defending champions Ireland on Friday at the Stade Vélodrome has the potential to decide the entire tournament.
Six Nations
France v Ireland
Friday 2 February | 22:00
Both France and Ireland will finally get the chance to properly put their World Cup disappointment behind them when they face off in the 2024 Six Nations opener at the Stade Velodrome on Friday evening.
To Win Match
France 6/10 | Draw 20/1 | Ireland 14/10
Handicap
France (-3.5) 9/10 | Ireland (+3.5) 9/10
This year’s edition of the Six Nations has a very different feel to it given the number of star names missing, with none coming much bigger than former World Players of the Year Antoine Dupont (2021) and Johnny Sexton (2018). The France skipper is currently preparing to chase Olympic gold with his country’s sevens team while the veteran Sexton called it a day after another failed Irish World Cup campaign last year.
The absence of such influential figures will have a massive impact on the way both outfits perform this season, and the success of each will largely depend on how well they adapt without their premier playmakers calling the shots.
Dupont isn’t the only big-name star currently out for France though, with Thibaud Flament, Melvyn Jaminet, Emmanuel Meafou, Romain Ntamack and Anthony Jelonch all expected to miss either part of or the entire campaign.
Luckily for them, their tie with the Emerald Isle is a home clash this year which will partially offset those losses. Such is their squad depth that it would be a major surprise if they don’t manage a top-two finish come the conclusion of the tournament, marking this fixture as potentially championship-defining.
As much as Dupont is considered the world’s best player, there’s an argument to be made that Sexton’s presence for Ireland was even more critical to the performance of his team. Everything Ireland did for at least the past eight years was squarely built around the game-managing abilities of the ex-skipper, and while Jack Crowley has shown promise for Munster, he’s a very different player.
Verdict: Ireland (+3.5) 9/10
It’s going to take time for Ireland to find their feet post-Sexton, and while they should still finish within a whisker of their hosts this week, they won’t come away from Marseille with the win.
