It’s Friday when we normally do our feature match previews here at Harpin Manor, but the horrendous Thursday evening kickoff time has discombobulated our weekly routine a tad.

We’ve decided to stick with our Sunday evening match wrap recording, and regular contributor Mark Jackson will be joining me for that, but to tide us over until then, here are some thoughts from two other friends of the pod, Kristian Ross who offered some written words and Keego who recorded a brief video.

A weakened Ireland opened their 2026 Six Nations campaign with a humbling defeat to France in Paris, on an unfamiliar Thursday evening.

With a seemingly insurmountable injury list, Andy Farrell’s side were in need of a miracle at the Stade de France — but any hope of that was firmly extinguished as the reigning champions set the pace early on.

By half-time, the contest was effectively over. Les Bleus held a 22-point lead that reflected their dominance, with Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Matthieu Jalibert, and Charles Ollivon all crossing the line. However, there was controversy surrounding the opening try, with what appeared to be a forward pass in the build-up.

Uncharacteristically, Ireland made multiple handling errors, their exits misfired, and any momentum was quickly smothered by French line speed and physicality at the breakdown.

The home side were just as ruthless after the restart, extending their lead further. A brief flicker of resistance emerged after both benches emptied, with Ireland showing greater intent with ball in hand and earning a try through Ulster forward Nick Twomey.

A second score followed soon after, capitalising on a rare lapse in French concentration and briefly threatening to give the contest some shape, as Munster prop Michael Milne became the first Offaly-born player to score an international try in a green jersey.

Historically, France have a habit of making things difficult for themselves, and they nearly conceded a third try following a penalty for a deliberate knock-on by Antoine Dupont. Yet, to the confusion of a partisan crowd, he avoided a yellow card.

With that reprieve, France punished Ireland further as Théo Attissogbe put the finishing touch on a commanding win. A depleted Ireland squad must now regroup and aim for a bounce-back victory against Italy next week to keep their slim championship hopes alive.