This headline recalls the original, dramatic reasons behind the Trojan War, or the time when US wines were favoured over French wines in an unforgettable and unprecedented tasting. On Saturday it will have a third meaning, either to herald an unlikely but not impossible England victory (recall 1991,1992,2016), or to acknowledge the repeat Six Nations Champions France as a genuine threat to South Africa in next year’s World Cup. That is, if they can recover from the verbal lashing they will receive from Shaun Edwards, their defence coach, after shipping 50 points to the rampaging Scots. I would love to be in their team room when Edward unveils a new form of Franglais, even better than the famous O’Gara ‘FrancIrish’ rantings to his La Rochelle squad. What’s French for casual, complacent, disrespectful even laughable(Dupont’s in goal forward flick!).Talking of O’Gara, the insatiable media quite like his chances as the next coach of England…..hmmmm.

What a sporting week ahead elsewhere, with the Cheltenham festival featuring the our very own favourites from Yotes Court Winery, the only sporting vineyard in England, whose owners Susannah and Rich Ricci happen to be featuring some potential classic winners of their own on the racecourse. Gaelic Warrior, Lossiemouth and Love Sign d’Aunou are all fancied and their names could signal a pointer for the weekend’s rugby. Among their stable of top quality wines sits the ‘Rosé of Champions’ which excitingly looks forward to the World Cup Champions Red Roses’ upcoming campaign to retain the 6 Nations.

Meantime looking back, in India the T20 World Cup has shown us just what spectacle and excitement is being offered up by cricket right now. Whether Allen(NZ) or Bethell (Eng), who produced two of the best hitting displays I have ever seen, almost on a par with the great Botham, (and that was just the semifinal) you have to love the Indian crowd passion for the game and their supremacy on the field of play. That is before you get to their commercial dominance. Rugby has a way to go………but the Six Nations has had a proper shot at it this year!

Back to the standout performances of the weekend. I talked some weeks ago about the quality of Glasgow in the URC not to mention their profusion of top ranked Lions and finally they have come to transfer this into the National team, plus Finn Russell. It was stunning to watch and suddenly Dublin emerges as the place to be this weekend – wow, the Guinness will flow and I make it a 50-50 call because I remain unconvinced about the Irish attack.They will be up against the best and most experienced back line in the Championship. Unlocking a leaky England defence does not really count, and while I admired the ‘they shall not pass’ Welsh tacklers at the weekend, the occasion was more notable for the bluntness of Ireland’s attack. Whatever happens it will be a classic and the winners will cross fingers in pubs for an English upset in a cold, unforgiving Stade de France. The French home crowd will have had all day to taste whatever wines they wish, US or otherwise, and will be in full voice come kick off.

I think anyone with a heart will applaud the first ever victory by the Azzurri against England and very well deserved it was too. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and the best centre in the world currently, Tommaso Menencello, scored one cracker and made the other, one of the tries of the tournament. When up against an opponent with such a limited game plan that is all it takes and so it proved. Congratulazioni!

For beleaguered England – more on that later – let us recall some famous words and go bravely forward is all I can say …. ‘That he which hath no stomach to this fight, let him depart, his passport shall be made……..But we in it shall be rememberèd—We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he to-day that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother.’

I cast my mind back to an unforgettable time in the players tunnel underneath the Parc de Princes in 1992, waiting to take to the pitch for the critical match of the year which would eventually lead to our ‘back-to-back’ Grand Slam. Crashing sounds of drums and klaxons, an escaped cockerel on the pitch, a baying crowd making words of any sort tough to hear, and a French side emerging from the changing room with a murderous look in their eyes. We prevailed but we had to look into our deepest soul, with the help of an angry and emotional Brian Moore (of course) and an impossibly calm Will Carling. It will take all of this and more to emerge victorious on Saturday, believe me. Surely a challenge to be met by any man in a white shirt emblazoned with the English Rose.