France’s 2025 started off really well, as they hammered Wales in the opening games of the Six Nations.

They fell to a narrow one-point defeat by England, they responded by scoring 73 points in Italy.

Despite a dominant win in Ireland, France lost talismanic captain Antoine Dupont with a knee injury, but they had enough in hand to beat Scotland on the final day to win the title.

The rest of their year was not as successful. New Zealand won all three summer Tests between the sides, and South Africa won the opening match in November despite playing the majority of the game with 14 players.

Fabien Galthie’s side did end their autumn with wins over Fiji and Australia, and they will now look to go for back-to-back Six Nations titles this year.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

While a first in the Six Nations era, the Stade de France fixture is not the only time a game in the championship has been staged on a Thursday.

The last time, back when the competition was the Five Nations, came in 1948 and Irish fans hoping for a good omen will note that was the year their side went on to win the first of their four Grand Slams.

Back then, it was again Ireland against France in Paris that was staged on a Thursday, although at that stage the competition began in January and the game was held on New Year’s Day.

While a February start and mid-March finish for the competition is now well established, that window has only been the norm since 2005. Prior to that, January starts and April finishes were both common.

Ireland have played on a Thursday more recently than 1948 however, beating Russia 35-0 in Kobe during the 2019 World Cup.

France, where second-tier Pro D2 fixtures are regularly staged on the day for television purposes, twice played on a Thursday at their own World Cup in 2023, beating Uruguay 27-12 and Namibia 96-0 in the pool stages.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

The Six Nations is the most eagerly anticipated rugby competition in the northern hemisphere each year.

Fans this season, though, will have their wait reduced by 24 hours with the competition unusually starting on a Thursday evening when Ireland are the visitors to Paris to take on France (20:10 GMT).

Friday night fixtures have become the norm in the championship – dating back to France’s hosting of Wales in February 2009 – but this year’s Thursday start is because of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

The opening ceremony of the games will be staged on Friday night with the first game of the Six Nations brought forward 24 hours to avoid a clash for television viewers.

Well, Reuben, Jonathan Bradley has an answer for you about why the Six Nations opener will be played on a Thursday night this year.

The six nations should be played at weekends let’s hope in the future it will be

Reuben, Lincolnshire

Conor Murray plays Winner Stays On.

I’m not sure exactly why I feel this way, but I get the impression that Murray is a big fan of his former Ireland and Munster team-mate Keith Earls…

Prendergast can’t tackle his way out of a paper bag and his kicking from the tee is woeful. Why is Frawley not in at 10. The French must be delighted with Prendergast’s inclusion.

Marc, West Midlands

The last five between the sides.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

For all Farrell’s big selection calls today, he has resisted the temptation to include any uncapped players in his panel.

Edwin Edogbo always felt the most likely given his performances for Munster of late and how he could offer Ireland a different sort of physical profile.

The reason why Farrell loves to include training panellists in his squad, though, is to get young players exposed to the environment before throwing them into a match.

Edogbo missed out on that chance through injury in November and there’s no doubt at all his opportunity in a green jersey will come soon.

Ireland will begin their 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign on Monday, 4 October against Portugal in Sydney (07:15 BST).

The redeveloped Sydney Football Stadium, which has a capacity of 42,500, will host the first meeting between the sides at a Rugby World Cup and is the scene of Ireland’s victory over Namibia at the 2003 tournament when known as Aussie Stadium.

Following their opener, Andy Farrell’s squad will then make the long trip to Western Australia for their second Pool D fixture when they take on Scotland at the 60,000-capacity Perth Stadium on Sunday, 10 October (10:45 BST).

Ireland’s final game of the pool phase will see them cross country once again with the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne hosting their clash with Uruguay on Sunday, 17 October (04:45 BST).

Should Ireland advance to the last 16 as Pool D winners, they will face a best third-place team at Docklands Stadium on Sunday, 24 October (06:45 BST), while second place will see them at the same venue the previous day, 23 October at 09:15.

Ireland’s 2027 Rugby World Cup Pool D fixtures (all times BST)

4 October: Ireland v Portugal, Sydney Football Stadium, 07:15

10 October: Ireland v Scotland, Perth Stadium, 10:45

17 October: Ireland v Uruguay, Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, 04:45

Here’s a reminder of your Ireland team to take on France

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Understandably Jacob Stockdale was one of the main talking points during Farrell’s presser.

The Ulster wing, who is now just two months shy of his 30th birthday, really did go through a luckless run with Ireland, departing injured in each of his three consecutive Test starts between the summer of 2023 and 2025.

His injury woes certainly appear to be behind him – he’s averaged 18 games a season since missing all but one game of the 2021-22 season – and while a different player to the one who burst on to the scene and then made history in 2018, it’s worth remembering that only five men in history have scored more tries for Ireland.

Ireland lock James Ryan feels a quick start away to France in the Six Nations opener is “unbelievably important” for the visitors.

Andy Farrell’s side will begin their 2026 campaign at the Stade de France on Thursday (20:10 GMT) in a game brought forward to avoid a clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday.

While Ireland beat France in Marseille two years ago, and won at the Stade de France against Scotland and South Africa during the 2023 World Cup, they have not beat Les Bleus at the venue since 2018.

“I think a big start is definitely unbelievably important for us,” said Ryan.

“They get the tails up and the crowd get behind them and they’re into their flow, so a fast start for us is always important but particularly so this weekend.

“I think going away from home over in Paris, you’ve got to start well.”

Captain Caelan Doris says Ireland are determined to atone for a disappointing end to last year’s Six Nations, starting with next week’s tournament opener against holders France.

Ireland beat England, Scotland and Wales to secure the 2025 Triple Crown before their bid for a third successive title fell apart in a hugely demoralising 42-27 loss to France in Dublin.

While Ireland endured a mixed autumn campaign that included losses to New Zealand and South Africa, Doris says the squad are targeting a statement win over Les Bleus in the Thursday night curtain-raiser at Stade de France.

“The way the fixtures fell last year we obviously had the Triple Crown after three games and it was the last two games that let us down,” the 27-year-old Leinster back row told the BBC.

“We obviously won in Rome but the nature of the performance wasn’t where we would have liked it and having lost to France the week before, it left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth.

“So there’s excitement for upping the performances and getting the results we’re after from the start this year.”

Ireland will struggle to win scrum ball and therefore struggle to win the game-but they don’t have to win in Paris for it to be a success and they certainly have the players to make it a good contest.

Ricky, County Armagh

Ireland Rugby

That’s all from Andy Farrell in his press conference on today’s squad.

We’ll have more analysis on his team selection, and stay tuned for France’s team announcement at 10am.

We’re expecting a certain Mr A. Dupont to return for that. You may have heard of him.

Farrell on the selecting brothers Sam and Cian Prendergast to start in Paris: “It’s lovely. You can tell they tried to keep it on the down low in front of all of their team-mates but I’m sure behind the scenes, along with their parents, they are proud as punch.”

Farrell why he chose Jamie Osborne, who has been out injured since November, to replace Hugo Keenan at full-back: “Knowing his temperament and how diligent he is in his preparation, which is top drawer by the way, there’s no better man.

“Jacob [Stockdale] is playing well, he deserves his chance on the left wing. Hugo has been unbelievably unlucky. He was looking sharp coming back in and I really feel for him to have the thumb injury.

“You look at the likes of Jimmy O’Brien or Mack Hansen or others [without Keenan] and Jamie is the one who is going to fill the spot for us.

“He’s had a shoulder injury so he’s fit, he’s certainly showed that in the last week.”

Farrell on the injured prop Tadhg Furlong, who has been nursing an calf injury: “The right thing to do with Tadhg is, for us and for him, is understand what history has told us. To push hard for this game could have meant we end up with egg on our face on both sides. We expect him to be fully fit for the week after,.”

Farrell on selecting Jacob Stockdale ahead of James Lowe: “There’s always a debate to be had and Jacob deserves it.”

On no Edwin Edogbo in the squad: “He’s still learning. Letting people taste the environment, we like to get them into it as soon as we can. Edwin missed that, and there’s an art of getting up to speed. It would have been a fascistic week for him, he’s had a great week but he’s still finding his feet like a few others.”