Six Nations: Will British and Irish Lions’ waste help France?

England winger Tommy Freeman and Irish prop Tadhg Furlong both said as much after taking part in last summer’s Lions tour of Australia.

“Without realizing it, I think I was tired,” Freeman said of his return to Northampton.

“I felt like my body was fine and I was telling the coaches ‘yeah I’m fine, I’m fine.’ I think just mentally it was a little bit more of a struggle.”

“Maybe it all seems insignificant the next year,” Leon Furlong said three times.

Perhaps the French players do not feel this much sympathy. The campaign in the domestic top flight – the top 14 teams – can extend to 29 matches.

The equivalent figure for the Premier League and United Rugby League is 20 and 21 matches respectively.

However, unlike with their home teams, France usually rest their top stars for their summer tours.

While the Lions toured Australia, across the Tasman Sea, the French side faced New Zealand in a three-Test series without the likes of Louis-Bel-Billard, Mathieu Jalibert or Charles Ollivon.

Despite the objections of their New Zealand hosts, who are concerned about the impact on ticket sales, France stuck to their policy as a second-tier side suffered a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ireland are adept at managing the overall workload of their stars. For example, Dan Sheehan, the Leinster and Ireland hooker, has made just three appearances for his county so far this season.

But Warburton believes that not all games are created equal. In his opinion, the testing stages require more from the players.

“I think there’s something about playing international rugby – a lot of times I think you can play an international game of that magnitude, emotionally, in a year,” he said.

“Obviously the Lions Tour takes up that quota and I think it’s a big part of it.”

The Six Nations’ regular calendar cycle may also play a role. In even-numbered years – in which all post-Lions matches are played in the Six Nations – France have three home matches, instead of two.

Their home matches include meetings with Ireland and England, and are often title contenders.

France bookended its Six Nations campaign with victories over these two teams in Paris this year, results that were crucial to its success in the tournament.