Preview: Paris battle in store for Ireland as scales tip towards France

Opportunity knocks.

Ireland come up against a France team today who have made no bones about targetting next year's World Cup, which will be held in the country over September and October.

In the good old days that yielded three championships and a Grand Slam under Joe Schmidt, looking too far down the line wasn’t the done thing.

That has changed noticeably since Andy Farrell took over with the head coach and his charges often volunteering unsolicited comments about the bigger picture and the need to develop with 2023 in mind.

That’s why the injury enforced absence today of Ireland’s talisman Johnny Sexton is being hailed by many as a blessing in disguise.

"If you lose someone like Johnny Sexton, with the form he's in, of course he'll be a loss," said Racing 92 attack coach Mike Prendergast.

"[But] these scenarios are going to present themselves, potentially in a World Cup and important games."

Injury hasn’t helped his cause but the fact that it has taken Joey Carbery five years to make his Guinness Six Nations starting debut was a stat that was primed to come back and kick Ireland in the ass sooner rather than later.

The mild hamstring strain that has ruled Sexton out has forced the hand of Farrell but he needed to pass the deputy the reins in this campaign.

Competitive fixtures, notwithstanding the nature of the three Tests in New Zealand this summer, are running out with, starting today, just nine Six Nations games left before Ireland kick off their Pool B schedule on 9 September next year in Bordeaux.

"It’s a great development for us as a team going forward as well and we still expect ourselves to be at our best in Paris," said Farrell.

As mentioned, Carbery’s trajectory hasn’t been helped by a series of injuries but his switch