The Blues collapsed against Ireland at the Vélodrome for the kick-off of the Six Nations, this Thursday February 2. Not the best solution to chase away bad memories of the World Cup in France, but the best to give Ireland a path to the title.
The rebound will wait: the XV of France, corrected by Ireland (38-17) Friday in Marseille after a red card for Paul Willemse in the 32nd minute. The Blues missed the opportunity to close the still gaping scar. They had not suffered two consecutive defeats since 2021, between the last match of the Tournament against Scotland and the first test of the summer tour in Australia.