Former France captain and 2011 World Rugby Player of the Year, Thierry Dusautoir, believes the Irish team may not be as good as in previous years but doesn't see any team surpassing them just yet.
Ireland heads into the Six Nations aiming to make history by winning a third successive Six Nations title and their first treble in history. Only two teams have won three consecutive titles: England and Wales.
The Irish team will also be without Andy Farrell, who has gone on to manage the British & Irish Lions. They are also not as potent and dynamic as in previous years, which could open the door for teams like England or France to topple Ireland this year.
However, as much as Ireland may not be as good, Dusautoir asks the question: who can realistically beat them?
"Andy Farrell’s absence creates a different dynamic. They didn't show the normal confidence and control that they used to show in the past during the Autumn Internationals, so maybe there will be an opportunity there," said the French legend to Genting Casino.
"But besides France, who realistically will be able to beat them? I don't think Wales is because they're not playing good rugby right now. I don't know about England because it's not the English team that we talked about some years ago. But they did well in New Zealand last summer and only lost by a few points.
"It’s true that maybe Ireland is not as good as they used to be. But they still have a good chance."
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According to the bookies, France is the next best team in the world, and they also have Antoine Dupont back in the squad. The Toulouse scrum-half was not part of the 2024 French contingent due to Olympic commitments in Paris. With his return, French hopes have increased.
Dusautoir feels, however, that France's injuries will play a massive factor in their quest for Six Nations supremacy again.
"I think that we are just passing through a year of transition in 2024 because we’ve needed to recover from the disappointment of the World Cup,"he added.
"We have also suffered injuries to key players, and with Dupont unavailable, that has helped us push forward other young players such as Romain Bouros and Marko Gazzotti.
"So now, for the Six Nations, I think the French team is getting back on track, and you will have players like Dupont coming again—he is a phenomenon. I think that for any team, it's not the same to play against France without Antoine Dupont.
"Unfortunately, we have a lot of injuries. Charles Ollivon will not be there, and Gaël Fickou, Jonathan Danty, and the props Jean-Baptiste Gros and Cyrille Baille are also out. Hopefully, we will start to continue the progression during the Six Nations."
Ireland's 2025 Six Nations fixtures are as follows:
- They face England at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, February 1st, with a 4:45 pm kick-off.
- They then take on Scotland at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, on Sunday, February 9th, at 3:00 pm.
- After this, they play Wales at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday, February 22nd, at 2:15 pm, before hosting France at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, March 8th, at 2:15 pm.
- They finish the tournament against Italy at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, on Saturday, March 15th, with a 2:15 pm kick-off.
The Guinness Men’s Six Nations is live on RTÉ and Virgin Media in the Republic of Ireland and BBC and ITV in the United Kingdom. There will also be radio coverage on RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio.
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