Here's what former Ireland fly-half and La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara thinks about France's big selection calls for the Six Nations:

"France have threats all over the park. How they differ from any other team in the Six Nations would be the fact that if they lose five of their top players, it doesn't matter," La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara told BBC Sport.

"France have a mentality of there is very little between certain players in certain positions - with the exception being Dupont."

We are expecting the French team news at any moment, but it appears they are running fashionably late.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Image source, Getty

Well, one team selection has already given us plenty of talking points this morning - what of the France XV?

Never one who could be considered a conservative selector, Fabien Galthie has already thrown the cat amongst the pigeons, leaving out the 98-times capped centre Gael Fickou and record try scorer Damian Penaud from even his wider squad.

We know that a certain Antoine Dupont will be back, but it will be interesting to see what else Galthie has up his sleeve.

Image source, Getty Images

France's all-time top try-scorer Damian Penaud is a shock omission from the defending champions' Six Nations squad before a potentially crucial opening-round match against Ireland on 5 February.

The 29-year-old wing has scored 40 tries in 59 appearances for his country and started all three of France's autumn internationals in November.

However his strike-rate has dipped this season. Penaud has crossed eight times in 16 matches for club and country so far, compared to 27 tries in 26 appearances in 2024-25.

His defence has also come in for criticism, with his failure to deal with a kick ahead by Northampton's Henry Pollock in a recent Bordeaux-Begles' Champions Cup win the latest evidence against him.

Penaud is one of several high-profile players to be culled by coach Fabien Galthie, with back row Gregory Alldritt, who captained the side in the wake of Antoine Dupont's injury at last year's Six Nations, and veteran centre Gael Fickou also left out.

Penaud, Alldritt, 28, and Fickou, 31, could all return, with coaches able to call up players during the Six Nations campaign, however Galthie's selection seems a statement of intent before a meeting with Ireland, who won the 2023 and 2024 titles.

Antoine Dupont returned for Toulouse at the end of November but has yet to feature for France since that injury in Dublin last year.

Is that a fitting return for the French talisman?

Image source, Getty Images

Last year, France were left "angry" after captain and star player Antoine Dupont sustained a "serious" knee injury against Ireland.

Dupont, 28, was forced off in the first half of France's dominant 42-27 win over holders Ireland.

Ireland second row Tadhg Beirne fell on Dupont's leg at a ruck and the scrum-half was helped off the pitch in Dublin after receiving treatment.

Galthie said there was "anger" in the French camp over the incident, which was not referred to the television match official (TMO) during the game.

Both Dupont and Gregory Alldritt, who took over as French captain, were heard questioning referee Angus Gardner over a possible review of the incident.

Galthie said Dupont was "suffering" and that he has referred Ireland pair Beirne and Andrew Porter to the citing commissioner for possible retrospective punishment.

Dupont was attempting to steal the ball in the 28th minute and was challenged by Beirne, who then fell on to the scrum-half's right leg as Irish prop Porter joined the ruck.

"We named the players [who made contact with Dupont], Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, who should appear before the disciplinary commission," Galthie added.

"We want explanations, so we've named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Rampant France took control of the Six Nations title race as they scored 34 unanswered points to thrash Ireland in Dublin and end the home side's Grand Slam hopes.

Despite losing captain Antoine Dupont to a serious knee injury after 30 minutes, France scored four second-half tries to move two points clear of Ireland at the top and avenge last year's defeat in Marseille.

Tournament top scorer Louis Bielle-Biarrey crossed twice for Les Bleus and Paul Boudehent and Oscar Jegou also touched down to secure the bonus point before Damian Penaud equalled Serge Blanco's French record of 38 tries at the end of a signature breakaway.

Dan Sheehan's early second-half try put Ireland - who temporarily lost Joe McCarthy and Calvin Nash to yellow cards in either half - 13-8 up, but France's response was emphatic as they put themselves in pole position before hosting Scotland in their final game - which they would go on to win.

Image source, Getty Images

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

Image source, BBC Sport

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

Image source, BBC Sport

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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

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...

Image source, BBC Sport

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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

Image source, Inpho

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.

Image source, Getty Images