The 2026 Six Nations begins with a blockbuster tie between France and Ireland on Thursday.

The countries have shared the last four titles, with Les Bleus defending champions after also completing the Grand Slam in 2022.

Ireland did the sweep in 2023 and retained their crown the following year, though they failed to go unbeaten during their 2024 campaign, but by the narrowest of margins, losing by a point at Twickenham.

Les Bleus won in Dublin last year to avenge Ireland's victory in Marseille in 2024 and, back in Paris, they could take the visitors to task.

Selections

France -14.5 @ 21/20Antoine Dupont to score a try @ 13/8Dan Sheehan to score a try @ 2/1

Impressive France could take some stopping

France games under the Saint-Denis lights are always something special and the defending champions could put on a clinic.

Coach Fabien Galthie has jettisoned some former stalwarts, but his matchday 23 is stacked with playmaking quality and also possesses plenty of grunt if required.

Ireland's team is an intriguing blend, with Sam Prendergast named at fly-half and his brother Cian set to start at blindside flanker in the absence of Ryan Baird.

Both teams face uncertainty in the prop department - Ireland are missing several of theirs and France are adapting after the sad recent news of Uini Atonio's retirement.

Ireland beat France 38-17 in the 2024 tournament opener, but that was in Marseille against a team still seemingly suffering from their World Cup quarter-final exit the previous autumn.

Les Bleus blew Ireland away in Dublin last year, winning 42-27, with the margin of that victory tempered by two late Irish tries.

Combinations taking time to gel can lead to slow starts at the international level, but the defending champions have too much class not to get it together.

Their strong bench also hints at the possibility of another win around the two-converted-tries mark.

Dupont unlikely to be denied

Antoine Dupont injured his knee after finding himself on the wrong end of an Ireland clear-out during last year's game in Dublin. The scrum-half will make his first international appearance since that injury last March and, after steadily improving performances for Toulouse, captains his country on Thursday.

Dupont missed the defeat in Marseille as part of his preparations for France's Rugby Sevens gold at the 2024 Olympics, but he has a strong record against the Irish.

He has scored tries on the last two occasions the countries have met at the Stade de France, in 2020 and 2022.

Dupont was yellow-carded for a high tackle in his last club appearance on January 24, but ran in two tries against Sale the week before that to suggest he might be nearing something like his best.

Ireland's Sheehan going for three in a row

An Irish player with a strong record against Thursday's opponents is hooker Dan Sheehan, who has scored tries in the pair's last two Six Nations meetings.

The 27-year-old remains among the elite in his position but has struggled to repeat the form he showed in crossing for scores in the British & Irish Lions' first and second Test victories against Australia.

Sheehan's try in Marseille in 2024 sparked a brilliant Six Nations campaign that saw him cross the whitewash on a joint-tournament-high five occasions.

He made it over against South Africa in November and also recorded scores in Leinster's Champions Cup wins at Leicester and Bayonne.

A player for the big occasion, Sheehan could make it three years in a row in which he has troubled Les Bleus.