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Donal Lenihan: Aviva factor key as Ireland and France collide

In my opinion this is far more than just another Six Nations encounter. It's the first time ever in Six Nations rugby that we've had the No 1 and No 2-ranked sides playing against each other. You're eight months out from a Rugby World Cup where both teams could meet in a quarter-final, so the whole of rugby is focused in on this game.

[Ireland] lost narrowly to France last year; the Irish were blown away by the support that France had then. The whole of France has got behind their effort to win the World Cup and that was evident by the support they had in the Stade de France.

The Aviva, as we know on its day, can be brilliant, but we don't always see it. Sometimes it takes the All Blacks to turn up for the crowd to get in early, to get behind the team from the outset.

This game is going to be so tight that you have to make the maximum out of your home advantage. I'm not in the least surprised that Andy Farrell and the Irish players are almost pleading with the Irish supporters to get in there early, get behind them and give them the lift that can carry them over the line.

I think the loss of Dan Sheehan is huge in the context of Sheehan being a special player. He was on the periphery of the team last year and got his opportunity because Rónan Kelleher got injured. He's been unbelievable, an exceptional player. I think the two best hookers in the world at the moment are Julien Marchand, who'll be playing tomorrow, and Dan Sheehan.

Andy Farrell welcomes chaos on the basis that this is what you get at a World Cup. In the past on the morning of a quarter-final or the week leading in, we've lost so many players.

He's certainly getting that now. For me it's the biggest test for the Irish team since the deciding game against New

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