By Think of how some of the Irish greats have used France games to put their names up in lights. Brian O’Driscoll’s hat-trick in 2000, Sexton’s drop-goal in 2018. Friday can be Crowley’s turn to come of age on French soil.
Even if they’ve never played in Marseille before, this Ireland team know how to win and know how to embrace the intensity of these big nights.
So, too, do France. Even shorn of Dupont’s mercurial talents and still-injured Romain Ntamack’s guile from out-half, Fabien Galthie’s side still pack a serious punch and are considered by many as championship favourites.
Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu again deputises for Dupont having fulfilled that role at the World Cup when Dupont was injured, while full-back Thomas Ramos, Mathieu Jalibert and Yoram Moefana have all been in fine form for their clubs this season.
And with experienced back rower Gregory Alldritt assuming captaincy duties and try-scoring machine Damian Penaud – who has crossed a remarkable 13 times in his past eight outings for France – starting, France look in good shape.
These two mighty teams have given us so many spellbinding Six Nations games down the years. The stage may be different but Friday’s curtain-raiser is sure to suck us back in all over again.
It is not fair to call this a championship decider. It is, however, definitely a match of considerable stakes, myriad subplots and one that will send a signal to the other challengers.
Whether that signal is blue or green remains to be seen, but it feels like the latest Six Nations show is about to kick off in a big, big way.
