Ireland resist change as new era beckons in Six Nations

It seems like only a few short weeks ago that Ireland's World Cup dreams came tumbling down at the Stade de France.

It’s been three-and-a-half months since their World Cup journey ended in Paris, and while those scars are probably yet to fully heal, the game waits for nobody. The international season is back upon us.

Every Guinness Six Nations sees new faces and new storylines, but the 2024 chapter has change around every corner. From an Irish point of view, this will be the first international season without Johnny Sexton since 2009, as Jack Crowley looks to inherit the number 10 jersey as seamlessly as the former Ireland captain did from Ronan O’Gara all those years ago.

Like Ireland, France will be looking to pick up the pieces following their own quarter-final disappointment at the World Cup, and like Ireland they will be doing so without their most important player of recent years, with Antoine Dupont (below) pivoting to the Sevens set-up ahead of the Olympic Games. Unlike Ireland, the world’s best player will be back in 2025.

England’s back-door route to a bronze medal at the World Cup has raised expectations of a return to form, while the arrival of Felix Jones into Steve Borthwick’s set-up has seen a shake-up on the coaching ticket. Owen Farrell’s decision to step aside from Test rugby marks the end of another era.

Gregor Townsend’s quest to bring Scotland from being the best-of-the-rest to being genuine contenders again continues. Unlike other sides, there haven’t been many significant changes in the Scottish set-up since the World Cup, but the same questions still remain.

Warren Gatland will be hoping his new broom approach before the World Cup will have given his side a head start on others, while Italy are starting