Ireland and France to Open Six Nations Tournament

Ireland's opening 2023 Six Nations match against France on Friday night will be a chance for new players to show what they're made of. Captain Johnny Sexton has retired, so Peter O'Mahony will be the new captain, and young players like Jack Crowley, Calvin Nash and Joe McCarthy will be making their first Six Nations appearances. Ireland's coach, Andy Farrell, is hoping that the team's younger players will be able to deal with the pressure of playing in such a high-stakes match, though he does expect there to be some nerves. He also notes that Crowley, in particular, has been putting in some good practice.