Listen to our detailed Six Nations preview with Gerry and Keith via the Wednesday Night Rugby podcast.

Ireland will be tackling Scotland at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday. But in many ways, the game between France and England at Stade de France is the most important clash of Week 1 of the 2014 Six Nations.

Indeed, Gerry Thornley stated that the winner of that "defining" match will be automatically regarded as "hot favourites" for the championship, although he added that they would have to "add more to their game" and take more risks. But he thinks that they are further down the line than France who have not developed a coherent game-plan and none of the flair that the "bourgeoisie" expect at the Stade de France.

Keith Wood agreed that England lack playmakers and also expects a very open championship.

"I would be very wary about England even though they are a bit suspect in the centres. I think it's totally open. France have had their worst year and you'd expect them to be fantastic this year. But you never know and I see it as incredibly open."

Thornley believes Scotland and Italy, who Ireland and Wales face respectively in Week 1, are "capable of taking scalps and have made great progress".   

As for Wales, could they suffer from a hangover from the Lions or the significant number of key players abroad?

"I think the bigger hangover from the Lions is going to be all the conversation that still seems to be ongoing about Brian O'Driscoll which they are trying to step away from," said Keith who believes it will "detract" a little bit especially in the lead up to Week 2 against Ireland.

But Keith is impressed by the way in which the Welsh can "play from anywhere and score from anywhere" and do it with a small dash of pragmatism. 

And even though many key players have had "troubled seasons", Thornley marveled at the fact that those club issues to not affect "Club Wales" who have X-Factor players like George North, Toby Felatau and Alex Cuthbert.

Ireland will miss Sean O'Brien and although it will be a "frightening" loss as Joe Schmidt targets a Top 2 finish, Keith thinks we can cope better than expected.

"I think of all the places to be injured in the back-row, I think we can deal with a player of his magnitude a bit easier than if it were somewhere else. It gives other players an opportunity to put the hand up and deliverable."

Keith is also heartened by the fact that there are far fewer injuries to the squad than there were this time last year when Ireland were "dropping like flies".

And he added that Ireland need to harness the performance from the New Zealand defeat in every game, starting with the Scotland game.

Listen to the full preview via the link below the main pic.

  

Main image: Captains (L-R) Paul O'Connell of Ireland, Sergio Parisse of Italy, Sam Warburton of Wales, Chris Robshaw of England, Kelly Brown of Scotland and Pascal Pape of France ©INPHO/James Crombie

All Images by ©INPHO/James Crombie