Based on Ireland’s thrashing of France on Friday, Les Bleus’ 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat against South Africa is a “bleeding” wound they’re unlikely to recover from soon, writes MARK KEOHANE.

The Irish got their bid for unprecedented back-to-back Grand Slams off to the perfect start with a bonus-point 38-17 win over 14-man France in Marseille.

SA-born France lock Paul Willemse was sent off in the first half of the Six Nations opener at Stade Velodrome, and the defending champions took full advantage to run in five tries.

Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that the French’s emotional wound from the World Cup loss to the Springboks is still raw after their disappointing performance against Ireland.

Despite coach Fabien Galthie’s acknowledgment of the “scar”, Keohane expects a potential struggle for Les Bleus until the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

“Galthie said it [the quarter-final defeat] was a scar that would never go away and one that he and his team would have to learn to live with. In Marseille, against Ireland, it was clearly still a wound, more than a scar,” he writes.

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“Perhaps, describing it as a wound is an understatement. It is more like a bleeding hole from which this French team may not recover in the World Cup cycle that runs until 2027.

“France, fabulous when at their best, are feeble at their worst. And in Marseille they were fragile.”

Keohane also suggests that if this was the 2023 World Cup final desired by some, it’s fortunate it didn’t happen, and concludes by highlighting Ireland’s bold performance in Marseille, anticipating an exciting July series in the Republic.

“Ireland’s performance is the one that would have had Rassie Erasmus’s attention, and it was good enough to suggest we are in for a cracker two-Test series in South Africa,” he writes.

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