Former All Blacks player Justin Marshall believes that there is a noticeable difference between France and Ireland compared to the other teams in the Six Nations tournament. While the opening weekend was filled with exciting matches, Marshall was unimpressed by the quality of play in the second round. He felt that the absence of a match between France and Ireland resulted in a drop-off in skill, performance, tempo, and physicality. Marshall praised the quality and entertainment of the first weekend, but noted that the second weekend did not live up to the same standard.
