Behind locked doors at their camp on the Algarve, Ireland’s brains trust will have devoted more time than usual analysing the Englishman in charge of the Six Nations opener in Paris.

Karl Dickson has become a subject of more than some interest to Andy Farrell & Co. for reasons that have nothing directly to do with Bundee Aki’s four-match ban for abusing officials in Galway last weekend, nor with Ireland’s deteriorating disciplinary record.
The uncapped Harlequins scrum-half turned Test referee has been singled out for sharp criticism by an expert with an impressively long track record i...