WATCH: France form team for 2023 World Cup, but the Springboks have real depth, says Sean Fitzpatrick

Cape Town — France are the best team in the world at the moment, but don’t write off the Springboks for the 2023 Rugby World Cup just yet, says Sean Fitzpatrick.

Les Bleus have made an unbeaten start to the Six Nations, winning all three matches so far against Italy, Ireland and Scotland, and are favourites to claim a Grand Slam by knocking over Wales on March 11 and England on March 19.

That run of form comes on the back of a successful November international season as well, where they beat Argentina, Georgia and then New Zealand 40-25 in Paris.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Devastating for Rugby Championship if Boks join Six Nations, says Sean Fitzpatrick

Coach Fabien Galthie has got the mix just right between youth and experience, with scrumhalf Antoine Dupont regarded as the best rugby player in the world, while the likes of Gael Fickou, Damian Penaud and Julien Marchand also in top form.

With France hosting the next World Cup, Galthie seems to have covered all his bases to get the best out of his players, having even roped in a South African, Vlok Cilliers, as the kicking coach and famed Englishman Shaun Edwards to organise the defence.

“Quite clearly at the moment, they are the form team in world rugby, without question. And that comes from (the fact that) the Top 14 has been a good competition this year. A lot of those players performed really well for their clubs, and that’s rolled over into international rugby,” Fitzpatrick said this week ahead of the upcoming Laureus World Sports Awards, of which he is the chairman.

“They’ve got some good systems in place — Galthie is doing a pretty good job… Shaun Edwards in terms of defence. So, they’ve got some good systems in place, which traditionally they haven’t (had) — they played