Rugby fans ready to storm the Bastille

BRIAN O’DRISCOLL got beaten up in Bayonne, then the Irish scrum was ransacked by the Italians at Ravenhill.

Not the ideal preparation for the Rugby World Cup. Now it is just days until the Irish rugby team has to go toe to toe with two of the biggest packs in international rugby, the Argentinians and the French.

At least travelling team fans can rely on home support if they get into the merde.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has announced a temporary Irish consulate will be opened in Bordeaux from September 7-17 to ensure fans watching the matches against Namibia and Georgia will have access to “a wide range of consular services”.

Announcing the consular presence, Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said the existing embassy in Paris will also be available on a 24-hour basis to assist Irish fans attending the matches against France and Argentina on September 21 and 30.

However, he is obviously hedging his bets on whether Ireland will make it out of the cup’s “group of death” saying the Parisian consul will be available for “any additional matches involving Ireland”.

At least if we get completely annihilated we will have troops on standby to storm the Bastille. The Irish naval vessel LÉ Eithne will be lurking in French waters during the World Cup and will dock in Bordeaux on September 15 and 16.

In addition, there will be a concert by Irish music group Slide in the Rugby Village in Bordeaux on September 15 and an open day at the recently restored Embassy of Ireland in Paris on September 22.

On the Department of Foreign Affairs website there is a detailed advice document for all Irish fans travelling to the rugby.

It gives information on embassy contact details, the locations of the stadia, travel guides and safety advice. A website, www. bordeauxrugby2007.com has been set up for the World Cup. It offers a guide containing maps, tourist information and details of all rugby-related events happening in the city.

The only Irish terrestrial coverage of the World Cup will be provided by TV3 — and it will not cover all the matches.

It will show the opening ceremony, the first match of the tournament (France v Argentina), all of Ireland’s matches, two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final.

British broadcaster ITV will show all the matches but they will be spread over ITV1, ITV3 or ITV4.

Setanta also has coverage of all 48 games.