France V Ireland
After the disappointment of the Italy game a lot of pundits were fearful of Ireland’s prospects against France. Especially when you consider our history in France. In the recent past we have one bright shiny memory, Brian O’Driscoll in 2000, but we also have more than our fair share of bad days. Which was this one going to be? Would it be the final nail in Eddie’s coffin?
Ireland started out quite brightly, playing well, but France looked more dangerous. And their pace and aggression gave them the first try in the 14th minute with Vincent Clerc the scorer. He added another 2 in the first half and it was looking very ominous for Ireland. The second half didn’t start out much better; a try from Cedric Heymans saw France go ahead 26-6. On RTE Tony Ward told Ryle he was depressed watching the game. He wasn’t the only one.
But things did get better. Ireland began to take control with the forwards, especially in the scrum, and after a considerable amount of pressure we got a penalty try after France repeatedly collapsed the scrum. 26-13. More pressure resulted in David Wallace touching down. And although we needed the video ref’s confirmation things were looking a lot better. O’Gara missed the conversion but was accurate with a penalty a few minutes later to make it 26-21. Five points in it.
Unfortunately we just couldn’t score that try. And that was the way it ended.
I’m not really sure what to think about the game. I was despairing in the first half. But the hope in the second was almost worse. I have to say that the players really showed what they were made of, it would have been so easy for their heads to drop and for them to give in, but they kept fighting and got to within a whisker of winning the match. Lets hope that this marks the turning point and we’re on the way up now.
Match reports from The Telegraph - International Herald Tribune - The Times
Irish Rugby.co.uk - Ireland Rugby - All Smoke and Mirrors - The Roar - rugbymad or just mad?
Post-match updates: Match Stats / Musings on Sport / Groves Media / Keith Wood is confused but aren’t we all? / The Independent / Hairyfish / Words, words, words
And then there is the issue of Ronan O’Gara and what he said at the team meeting on Friday.
A lot happens in sport, as in you can look after your own situations,” he said. “For Munster I’m used to winning and I expected to win today. From a personal point of view I’m very disappointed, from a team point of view very disappointed. I hope fellas aren’t happy with where they are inside. At the end of the day we were beaten again in Paris. That’s the bottom line.”
As for whatever he said on Friday, O’Gara revealed: “I have to keep some things private in terms of motivation for the team, and that’s exactly what it was.
“I think we’re trying to get credibility back in the Irish team and so far we haven’t done that and I think today we took a step in the right direction, but this team needs a win.
“It’s been a long time since Ireland have played well as a team and all I asked for was that we were honest, and I think we were honest today. But we need to kick on.”
(The Irish Times [subs]
February 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
The first half was almost unwatchable in many way, leaving Clerc so open to make a show of us….
The second half, what can I say, screaming for the line in the dying seconds - why it went wide I’ll never know, keep the ball in hand!!! Either way the second half was more encouraging and in some ways an Ireland of old, taking the fight to the French doorstep.
It may have been a loss, but it was an encouraging loss, and a platform they HAVE to build on if they stand any chance in this tournament (or any other for that matter!)
February 10th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I saw an interview with BOD after the game and he said that players didn’t actually realise that time was that tight. It’s an explanation that makes sense but makes me shake my head in disbelief. Surely they should have known.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Couldn’t agree more, the roar of the crowd at the bare minimum should have told them