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Friday first for Six Nations
17/04/2008 15:02 - (SA)
London - The 2009 Six Nations Championship will feature a Friday match for the first time when reigning Grand Slam champions Wales face France, officials announced on Thursday.
Wales, who a month ago sealed the title and Grand Slam with victory over France in Cardiff, will kick-off at 22:00 SA time on February 27 against Les Bleus at Paris' Stade de France.
Visiting fans in particular are likely to be unhappy with an evening kick-off which threatens to make their journeys to the French capital inconvenient.
Friday night matches, which featured in last year's World Cup in France, are an increasingly common feature of French rugby and this has been taken into account by Six Nations organisers.
Wales, whose first season under new coach Warren Gatland went better than even their most loyal fans could have hoped, begin the defence of their title away to Scotland at Murrayfield on February 8.
England, under new manager and World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson, kick-off the Six Nations at home to Italy on February 7.
Wales follow before England face Ireland at Croke Park - they lost 43-13 on their one previous visit last year - host France and then finish at home to Scotland in a Calcutta Cup clash at Twickenham.
Ireland, who will also have a new coach following Eddie O'Sullivan's recent resignation, start against France, with Scotland visiting Paris a week after hosting Wales.
As was the case this year, all the matches in the final round of the competition will be played on the same Saturday with Wales wrapping up the event against Ireland at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
The 2008 edition ended in dramatic fashion last month with Wales clinching the Grand Slam at home to France and Six Nations chairperson Jacques Laurans said in a statement on Thursday: "The 2008 Six Nations Championship concluded recently on yet another high note.
"The atmosphere in Cardiff was electric and I am convinced that next year's Championship will be equally as dramatic.
"Once again, the Championship brought huge TV audiences in all its countries and we are looking forward to even more exciting matches and unpredictable results," he added.
Scotland captain Mike Blair said he felt the fixture list had done his side a favour: "It's always good to begin the championship at home as it gives you the better chance of starting with a win and then looking to build momentum.
"We do then face a tight six-day turnaround to face France in Paris so the balance between training and rest will be important that week.
"Following that, we have successive home games at Murrayfield against Italy and Ireland and I believe that could stand us in good stead for our final game of the Championship as we seek to retain the Calcutta Cup against England at Twickenham," the scrumhalf added.
2009 Six Nations fixtures:
Saturday, February 7
England v Italy (17:00)
Ireland v France (19:00)
Sunday, February 8
Scotland v Wales (17:00)
Saturday, February 14
France v Scotland (17:00)
Wales v England (19:30)
Sunday, February 15
Italy v Ireland (16:30)
Friday, February 27
France v Wales (22:00)
Saturday, February 28
Scotland v Italy (17:00)
Ireland v England (19:30)
Saturday, March 14
Italy v Wales (17:00)
Scotland v Ireland (19:00)
Sunday, March 15
England v France (17:00)
Saturday, March 21
Italy v France (15:15)
England v Scotland (17:30)
Wales v Ireland (19:30)
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