Late Monday evening, not long after the Ireland squad arrived at their team hotel in La Defense on the west side of Paris, news broke on the other side of the world which served as a reminder of what their north star is for the next 18 months.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup draw was completed back in December, but confirmation of when and where Ireland would be playing their games in Australia next year just sharpens the focus heading into the penultimate Six Nations before their latest crack at an elusive World Cup run.
In 607 days, Ireland will take on Portugal in Sydney in their tournament opener, and six days later they’ll face Scotland in what looks set to be the crucial game of Pool D.
The next six…