Saint-André insists 'favourites' Ireland have advantage

The former winger believes the odds are against himself and England coach Stuart Lancaster succeeding in the Six Nations due to the demands of their domestic leagues and the lack of central control over players.

In contrast, Schmidt has the ability to wrap his IRFU-contracted front-liners in cotton wool at times and ensure that they are fresh when the tournament rolls around.

Ireland pipped Les Bleus to the title on the final day of last season's campaign and the two teams meet in round two this year on February 14.

It might be St Valentine's Day, but there is likely to be little love lost between the two sides, who are pool rivals at this year's World Cup.

And Saint-André believes that Ireland's advantage will recede at that tournament when he will have the same access to his players.

"It is very tough to be an English coach or a French coach because of the structure of the English League, which is 12 teams and us, which has 14 teams. Plus Europe," he said.

Competitive

"It's hard because when you put a squad together you want to be competitive and you realise you have 10-12 guys injured.

"Their (Ireland's) structure and organisation is controlled by their Federation (union). With that system they pay a little bit in Europe, just 25 games (in a season).

"There was a comparison between the captain of Ireland (Paul O'Connell) and Yoann Maestri (French second-row). One was playing 22, 23 games a year, the other 36, 37 games a year.

"It's completely different. Imagine me going to speak to Guy Noves (Toulouse coach) or Bernard Laporte (Toulon's director of rugby) and saying 'I want these guys off for two weeks before the Six Nations'; they would laugh at me.

"They say: 'We pay him and he needs to play for the club'. Because the organisation and structure is completely different, you need to cope with this, to do your best with this situation.

"Three years ago, I would pick this squad, think this will be my back three but in the last match of the Top 14 (before the international) you have six guys out and after you have to change everything.

"After I just pick a squad and say wait and see and I will make my mind when I have the guys with me. You need to have a different attitude, a different philosophy than when you are coach of a club. You can organise, you can structure, you can pick your own team."

Saint-André maintains that Ireland are the favourites to retain an open Six Nations, but believes the World Cup will be different.

"When you see the ranking you must say Ireland. They are third in the world," he said.

"You know how close it was against us last year. We miss this kick, Ireland won and we finished fourth.

"It's a very open Six Nations and each team can beat the other. I think four nations can win this competition.

"When the rugby went professional the assumption was that the Six Nations would be so boring because England and France would win (all the time) but Wales won a lot of Six Nations, Ireland last year and Scotland have improved. It's tough, two games at home, three games away.

"We will have a go, the spirit is good and the guys have a lot of confidence. In our first game against Italy in the World Cup I know we will be ready because we will have had two and a half months' preparation together. It will be a completely different story."

The topic of injury was a theme at yesterday's Six Nations launch, but Schmidt clearly wasn't buying the poor mouth being played by the French and English.

Asked by an English journalist if he had any sympathy for Stuart Lancaster, whose injury count has swelled to 12 in recent days with Owen Farrell, Brad Barritt, Tom Wood and Geoff Parling the latest players to struggle, Schmidt was giving the idea a short shrift.

"I could list 12 of our own, I think we're all reasonably realistic about how that works," he said. "You lose players and that's part and parcel. England do have great strength in depth."