Full coverage: Six Nations

There are questions about whether the women's game in Ireland is moving fast enough. Governance, competition structures and funding models all need work.

France’s record-breaking metrics set a new benchmark. Ireland’s own data told its own story - kicking and scrummaging woes, physical dominance, attacking shortfalls, and fine margins.

Maybe Darcy Graham is right to be bullish. Maybe Finn Russell plays the game of his life in the one city that’s never let him do his brilliant thing. Maybe. But the data, the history, and the venue all point the same way.

Twickenham's glow lasted two weeks. Jack Crowley held all the cards against Wales — and struggled to play the right card.

From ‘intent’ to ‘keyboard warriors’ in nine days: what attribution theory tells us about recent messaging by Andy Farrell. Meanwhile, unsparing data on the performance of his Irish players presents a different picture.

Ireland's reliance on Andrew Porter at loosehead prop is made painfully clear by appearance stats. The system has struggled to produce viable replacements and Andy Farrell is now paying the price.

Until a few years ago, the first Ireland player to win 100 caps thought he'd got out of rugby largely unscathed, but he now has one-eighth movement in his neck and severe pain.

As Andy Farrell, Leo Cullen and a host of senior coaches approach contract expiry after the next World Cup, Irish rugby is nearing a once-in-a-generation moment. Recent provincial chaos suggests the system that once excelled at succession planning will face an unprecedented challenge.

2026 must deliver greater coherence, alignment, and hopefully a few more trophies. However, this may require fundamental shifts in thinking and more difficult personnel decisions.

Was Ireland's defeat to France a one-off collapse or a sign of deeper flaws — speed, defence, and attacking precision — that must be urgently addressed? And how many answers will today's match against Italy provide?