Johnny Sexton's injury absence tips the scale in favour France, but also provides Ireland with an exciting opportunity to put Joey Carbery back in at the deep end, according to both Donal Lenihan and Racing 92 assistant Mike Prendergast.
Sexton's name was surprisingly absent from the teamsheet for Saturday's Six Nations clash with the French in Paris, before it emerged the Ireland captain picked up a hamstring strain in training, which will see him sidelined for a short period of time.
His injury has opened the door for Carbery to make his first Six Nations start in what will be his 29th Test appearance.
Sexton has looked as good as ever since winning his 100th cap against Japan in November, and while his loss strengthens France's position as favourites for the game, both Lenihan and Prendergast believe the experience gained by Carbery this weekend will be invaluable for Ireland when they take on both South Africa and Scotland at the Stade de France in the 2023 World Cup.
"A lot of people will see it as a disaster, certainly I think in a 50-50 game it does tip the balance in favour of France, but this is something that was going to happen at some stage," Lenihan told the RTÉ Rugby podcast this afternoon.
"Eighteen months out from a World Cup, Carbery is throw in at the deep end in one of the best tests you can get. It doesn't get much tougher than France in Paris.
"The timing, from Sexton's point of view is unfortunate, but you have Italy in two weeks time, so it does give him a bit of time before England and Scotland to get him back in some shape.
"This is what professional sport is all about. Joey Carbery has had a horrific run of injuries over the past two years."
Lenihan's comments were echoed by Prendergast, who has been working with several of this weekend's French squad at Racing 92 in recent seasons.
"The way Ireland play, with his skillset, and with the players he has around him, I look at it as an exciting thing," he said.
"Obviously if you lose someone like Johnny Sexton, with the form he's in, of course he'll be a loss.
"These scenarios are going to present themselves, potentially in a World Cup and important games.
"I think in a key position like 10, to have more game time under you in massive games, for the short term it might look like a hard blow but in the medium and long term it's something that will really stand to Joey Carbery and Jack Carty who has been playing really well with Connacht.
"I'm looking at it from a positive point of view, in terms of the excitement it brings."
However, Carbery's match sharpness presents a challenge for Ireland, with the out-half making a short cameo off the bench for Ireland in Round 1 of the tournament against Wales last weekend, which was his first appearance since fracturing his elbow while playing for Munster on 12 December.
"To be fair, I imagine he'd like to have had a little more game time under his belt, he came on after 62 minutes against Wales but that game was in the bag," Lenihan added.
"In the New Zealand game he came on with Ireland a few points ahead, but he did really well in closing the game out.
"The only concern you have, 18 minutes of action since that Munster game against Wasps (in December). It's not ideal, but it is what it is, you have to get on with it, and in the professional game it's the setbacks that you just have to accept."
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