Belief intact as Ireland get clean bill of health for France crunch

The defending champions’ self-belief is undiminished by last October’s early World Cup exit, John Fogarty insisted.

29 January 2024; Peter O’Mahony during an Ireland Rugby squad training session at The Campus in Quinta da Lago, Portugal. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Ireland are ready to “make it happen” when they meet France in their Guinness Six Nations opener in Marseille on Friday night, with the defending champions’ self-belief undiminished by last October’s early World Cup exit, John Fogarty insisted on Monday.

The 2023 Grand Slam winners’ are preparing to step out at Stade Velodrome convinced they have turned the page on their heartbreaking quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Paris 16 weeks ago and eager to prove it as they kickstart their championship title defence with an away victory by the Mediterranean.