Online Reporter
France did lose to New Zealand but there was context to the only defeat to be suffered by one of the top three in the first phase of the inaugural Nations Championship.
Fabien Galthie had to select an understrength team for that first game because of its proximity to the Top 14 final, which was played the previous weekend, with the Bordeaux-Begles and Montpellier players being rested.
France showed their class in the second half of their second game against the Wallabies, ending any realistic speculation of an Australian revival which might have been inspired by how close they came to beating Ireland. Ireland?
They had Japan as their middle game and, quite ridiculously, didn’t have to travel away from Australia. So their coach Andy Farrell was able to use more players than, for instance, England’s Steve Borthwick did, or for that matter the new All Black coach Dave Rennie.
But Ireland don’t belong in any elite top three, even though they have two wins from three starts and are challenging on the northern side of the Championship draw.
They may not even belong in the top four given that some might consider the jury still out on England after they beat Argentina having travelled around the world and back to do so.
Plus of course their 20 minutes of vague hope against the Springboks in Johannesburg in their competition opener.
The reality is that neither Ireland nor England should be considered serious challengers to be viewed as members of any elite.
That belongs to South Africa and New Zealand, both unbeaten after three matches, and France, who are arguably the one nation that might just be able to rival the South Africans when it comes to depth.
Rennie didn’t change his team much mainly because he’s new to his job and is bringing in changes to the All Black game that requires some bedding in for combinations and the promotion of familiarity with his concepts among his key players before they get to the moment in the season that everyone is waiting for – the 22 August clash with the Springboks at Ellis Park that will start Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. —Supersport
