Consolation is where you find it after a defeat like Ireland’s on Sunday. A 40-0 loss to the Black Ferns in Brighton wasn’t the ending Scott Bemand’s team wanted to their World Cup pool campaign but there isn’t much in the way of time to dwell on it.

Among the straws that could be grasped after their suffering at the hands of the world champions on England’s south coast was the theory that they won’t face an opponent of the same quality when they play their quarter-final in Exeter next Sunday.

France are not New Zealand. There has been evidence of them slipping further behind the Kiwis and England in recent years, and yet Ireland haven’t beaten them since 2017 and French fortunes in Pool D show that they are no mugs.

There is no definitive judgement to be made on their standing just yet, not when Italy, Brazil and South Africa have been their opponents, but their performance in Northampton at the weekend should serve as a warning.

South Africa weren’t helped by the sending off of Chumisa Qawe 25 minutes into the game, by which point the score was only 12-3, but the dominance and execution from the Six Nations side in Franklin’s Gardens was still impressive in a 57-10 saunter.

“We are ecstatic,” said joint head coach David Ortiz after their game brought the pool stages to a close on Sunday evening. “This is what we wanted. We played the way we wanted to and now have to concentrate on the quarter-final.” 

Similar words were uttered by his players, among them co-captain Manae Feleu who claimed afterwards that it had been a long time since the French team had enjoyed themselves quite so much on the field of play.

Momentum, bounce: call it what you will, France have it.

There was talk of solid foundations that had been built and, with scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus returned from suspension and named player of the match in their last two outings, France have a world-class, talismanic figure working off a big and powerful pack.

“The key will be to keep the same pressure we applied all game,” said Ortiz when asked to look ahead to the knockout tie against Ireland at Sandy Park. “The girls were in full hunting mode, ready to pounce on any loose ball.

“We need to really anchor that identity in every situation. Ireland are improving and will bring a big fight. We have to keep putting together complete performances and pile on the pressure, because they’ll certainly do the same.” 

Ireland fell to the French by 12 points in the opening round of this year’s Six Nations and came away from that game frustrated at their inability to make the most of the chances created and some concentrated passages of play.

Then again, Ireland faced up to the Kiwis here buoyed by their win against them in WXV1s last year so what events in Brighton and Northampton over the weekend clearly show is that these opponents have both upped their games since last meeting the Irish.

Ireland, with a number of injury absentees and worries still hanging over them this week, have absolutely improved in the two years under Bemand’s watch, but their graph hasn’t risen in quite the same manner in 2025.

“We play them every year,” said full-back Émilie Boulard who claimed two of their nine tries against South Africa. “Our last match in the Six Nations over there was tight. They’ve been getting stronger in recent years. They beat the Black Ferns in WXV.

“They’ll come in with huge belief, thinking everything is possible against us. So it’s up to us to shut down their intentions early, impose our game, and build confidence. Starting well will be absolutely crucial.”