Youthful Ireland can challenge for Six Nations title but must beware France

Joe Schmidt dismisses claims his side are title favourites but they have more depth than their rivals – if they can banish their tendency to start slowly and their poor record in ParisJoe Schmidt does not care much for mind games. Asked if there was a bit of one-upmanship behind keeping his counterparts waiting in the rain for a group photograph to be taken at last week’s Six Nations launch, the New Zealander was perplexed. “I was eating a bacon sandwich,” he said.Similarly, Schmidt brushed off Eddie Jones’s “grenade” that Ireland are favourites for the Six Nations with only half-hearted engag…