Yes, France finished second last year in the absence of their talisman, but even with his return, the near unanimous writing-off of Ireland is a curiosity, borne perhaps of something a little deeper.
If you’re a casual fan and need just one conversation filler with friends or colleagues this evening, to make it sound like you have something to offer to the Six Nations chat beyond the magnificence of Antoine Dupont’s cheekbones, this is it.
According to analytics outfit Opta, whose supercomputer simulated the tournament a total of 10,000 times, Ireland actually have a 63 per cent chance of the title, while France’s hopes stand at 29 per cent.
Ireland welcome England to Dublin, though ‘welcome’ may be too cordial a word for the side who ended their chances of a back-to-back Grand Slam last year.
Antoine Dupont’s France are fancied but it’s cheeky to bet against Ireland as they bid for a Six Nations three-peat Okay, pay attention.
