France's Six Nations meeting with Ireland next month appears to be subject to question due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
French health minister Olivier Veran announced on Saturday a temporary ban on all public gatherings with more than 5,000 people in a confined space after the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country rose to 73.
The Paris half-marathon - due to be held on Sunday with more than 40,000 runners competing - has been cancelled, though top-flight Ligue 1 football is continuing as normal this weekend.
"All public gatherings of more than 5,000 people in a confined space are temporarily banned across France," Veran told journalists.
"These measures are temporary and we will likely have to revise them. They are restrictive and paradoxically we hope they don't last long because that means we will have contained the virus' spread."
The ban will inevitably lead to questions over France's Six Nations contest against Ireland, which is scheduled to take place at the 81,338-capacity Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, on Saturday, March 14.
A sell-out crowd will be anticipated for a potential title-decider at the national stadium, particularly if unbeaten Les Bleus - rejuvenated under new head coach Fabien Galthie - beat Scotland at Murrayfield in round five and go into the final weekend looking to secure their first Grand Slam since 2010.
It would also mean successive postponements for Ireland, whose home clash with Italy - as well as the respective Women's Championship and Under-20 matches - in Dublin on March 7 has already been called off.
Last weekend’s women’s meeting between the Azzurri and Scotland was also postponed due to fears over the coronavirus, with over 1,000 people now having been infected in Italy.
Officials from all Six Nations countries are due get together at a pre-arranged World Rugby meeting in Paris on Monday to discuss fixture rescheduling and the fate of the remainder of the tournament, which has been thrown into disarray.
On the same day that France are due to meet Ireland, England end their campaign against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico, with approximately 20,000 away supporters expected to travel.
The Six Nations Championship has not ended incomplete since 1972, when the political situation in Northern Ireland resulted in Wales and Scotland not travelling to Dublin.
In 2001, games were eventually played in October due to the foot and mouth crisis.
