predictions

I am co-commentating on this game for 5 Live with Ali Bruce-Ball and I cannot wait.

Macclesfield boss John Rooney did an incredible job with his side’s historic win over Crystal Palace in round three.

I watched the game back as part of my prep and, while the Silkmen had less than 29% possession, they limited Palace to very few chances and they were deserved winners.

Knocking the holders out was rightly hailed as the biggest shock in the FA Cup’s illustrious history, and it would be another fantastic feat if they toppled Brentford too.

Only one non-league side has ever beaten two top-flight teams in the same FA Cup campaign – Millwall in 1913-14, who overcame Chelsea and Bradford City.

I’d love to think Macclesfield could do it too, and if they play like they did against Palace then they have a great chance, especially on their plastic pitch.

I think Brentford will be ready for them, though, and Keith Andrews’ side are having a tremendous season too.

Andrews will know he can’t make too many changes here, and maybe Brentford will go on an FA Cup run themselves – they have not reached the quarter-finals since 1989, so it it is long overdue.

This is going to be a tight game but I just have a feeling the Bees will edge it.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-2

Daffy: I don’t underthtand thith game at all – what is a Maccle? Why are there fields of them? And why do you altho call them the Thilkmen? Jutht for that, I’m going with Brentford!

Porky: B-b-Bees make honey, And honey is sweet… and so is my d-d-dear-d-d-arling Petunia.

Daffy & Porky’s prediction: 0-3

AI’s prediction: 0-3

Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan. Porky Pig and Daffy Duck’s answers are as told to Dan Berlinka.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat. We asked the tool to predict the score of each tie.

France won the Six Nations last year, with their sole defeat against England at Allianz Stadium.

Captain Antoine Dupont ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee in round four against Ireland but Fabien Galthie’s side got over the line without their talisman.

The scrum-half is back and will want to remind the rugby world of what he can do on the biggest stage, but they are without prop Uini Atonio, who was forced to retire with a heart problem.

“I tried to get a good part of the injury off and spend it with my family and friends, so I can do other things and come back with more mental freshness,” Dupont told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Galthie showed that no player is safe in his squad by leaving out France’s all-time top try-scorer Damian Penaud, number eight Gregory Alldritt and veteran centre Gael Fickou.

Will that bold call pay off? The fixtures could aid their chances, with games against Ireland and England at home meaning Les Bleus have a strong chance of retaining their title.

“France have threats all over the park. How they differ from any other team in the Six Nations would be the fact that if they lose five of their top players, it doesn’t matter,” La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara told BBC Sport.

“France have a mentality of there is very little between certain players in certain positions – with the exception being Dupont.”