Donal Lenihan: A different Les Bleus awaits Andy Farrell and Ireland in Paris

Donal Lenihan: A different Les Bleus awaits Andy Farrell and Ireland in Paris

DREAM TEAM: The French Federation has given their players a top-class coaching team, under head coach Fabien Galthié, and manager Raphael Ibanez, to extract the best from a cohort of young players that have won the last two U20 World Cups. Picture: Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Three key challenges facing Ireland in Paris

1. Platform to perform.

For the last decade, French teams have performed in the Six Nations with one hand tied behind their backs. Hence they haven’t won the championship since 2010 and haven’t finished higher than fourth in the table since 2012.

They have been rudderless without any decent platform from which to perform.

That has changed with two key foundation stones having been established since exiting the World Cup at the quarter-final stage in Japan.

At long last the French Federation has given their players a top-class coaching team, under new head Fabien Galthié, to extract the very best from a cohort of young players that have won the last two U20 World Cups.

In addition, under the influence of new manager Raphael Ibanez, France have established consistency in selection not seen in a long time. The starting team that defeated Wales 38-21 last weekend was the exact same as the one which kick-started the quest for championship honours with a 24-17 win over England in the opening round.

The long-term goal is to expose those underage World Cup winners to as much international rugby as possible in advance of the 2023 World Cup which the French will host.

Their elevation to potential tournament winners today has come far quicker than anyone envisioned at the outset of this fragmented tournament but has now become the main priority for this management team.

As well as providing a platform off the pitch in terms of structure and organisation, Galthie has also pieced together an extremely powerful, yet  athletic, front five to provide a further platform on the pitch to enable a very talented back line to express themselves.

The starting props tonight, Cyril Baille and Mohamed Haouas are not only big scrummagers but add to an already impressive array of bludgeoning ball carriers in this pack.

Julien Marchand starts ahead of the explosive Camille Chat due to greater consistency with his line out deliveries but Chat offers an explosive impact off the bench.

The fact that Bernard le Roux was cleared in a citing hearing earlier in the week for an incident involving Alun Wyn Jones offers a huge boost given the impact he carries at the breakdown and at the set piece.

Alongside him another naturalised South African Paul Willemse who is enormous and there primarily to add even more power to the tight-head side of the scrum. On 50 minutes he will be replaced by an even bigger monster in Romain Taofifénua.

Ireland’s set-piece will be tested to the full, especially in the absence of Tadhg Furlong and Iain Henderson.

To have any chance of controlling the territorial game, Ireland’s front five must find a way to compete on equal terms. Otherwise, the all-important battle at the breakdown will become even more challenging.

2. Generating turnovers more important than ever.

Rugby post-lockdown has taken on a new dimension due to changes in refereeing emphasis at the breakdown. With more protection provided to the poacher or jackeler, the opportunities for generating turnovers has increased dramatically.

In a game as structured as rugby has become, especially in relation to the defense, turnovers are king. The main reason for this is that defences are nowhere near as organised in broken play as from set pieces. Attacking off turnover ball affords more space and opportunity and teams with the individual flair France possess are scoring more tries off these opportunities than ever before.

Ireland have also picked up on this, scoring two outstanding tries against Italy from this source.

Andy Farrell has beefed up their efforts in this area with Caelan Doris, CJ Stander, Will Connors and Tadhg Beirne all prolific at contesting for turnovers. Connors has added another dimension with his chop tackling technique which allows the second man in the tackle area the chance to hold off and go for the poach.

The challenge tonight is in matching a prolific French outfit in this key sector. France struggled for long periods last weekend at the breakdown with their one Achilles heel, indiscipline, coming to the fore, conceding 16 penalties to four for Wales. Had Dan Bigger brought his kicking boots the outcome of the game would have been far closer.

If France can stay on the right side of the referee, they too have quality operators over the ball. The attacking threat they pose from turnovers, poor kicks and broken play is the biggest threat facing Ireland today.

That is why it is so important to paint the right picture for the officials at the breakdown.

If Ireland’s back-row trio manages to get control here, then the proven game management skills that Jonny Sexton brings to the fore has the capacity to control the tempo of the game, take the sting out of the French attack and test an unproven back three.

3. Defensive kings clash heads again.

Warren Gatland’s open plea during the week for Andy Farrell to be at his side once again as defensive coach when the Lions tour South Africa next summer will not have gone down well with French defense specialist Shaun Edwards.

Having filled that role with the Lions on their last trip to South Africa in 2009, Edwards was less than enamoured when his Welsh boss replaced him with his former rugby league teammate Farrell for the 2013 and 2017 tours.

Edwards will be out to prove a point today and the structure, discipline and organisation he has brought to this French side in the championship to date have put them within striking distance of a first championship in a decade.

The French were lazy when it came to defense and tended to pass responsibility onto others.

Edwards has made them far more accountable, offered these young players more direction in this key facet than they ever had before and, as a result, they are thriving.

That is why, having commended their new found consistency in selection since the World Cup, I was amazed with the decision to shift their defensive leader Gael Fickou from inside centre to the wing to cover for the loss of Teddy Thomas and introduce another 21 year old Arthur Vincent to partner Virimi Vakatawa in midfield.

Just when the French were developing a clear understanding and trust in a defensive system heavily reliant on the understanding Fickou and Vakatawa had established, they go and break that link. Why make two changes to cover the loss of Thomas?

Farrell will now focus on breaking the link between Romain Ntamack and Vincent in that crucial 10-12 channel with Bundee Aki’s power and ability to get over the gain line.

I can only assume Edwards was complicit with this decision and that Vincent, with only six caps to his name, is ready to cope with the pressure he will be put under today.

Any weakness Ireland identify there offers the chance to generate line breaks, something Ireland successfully managed against Italy last time out. On the flip side, for Ireland to win today, they must not only replicate the aggressive defensive line speed that completely unnerved Italy in Dublin, they must keep the pressure on for 80 minutes.

Even then, it might not be enough.

France faced a rehearsal in this department last weekend when the Welsh put them under severe pressure from the outset through the suffocating line speed that Edwards helped develop. Unusually for the French, they kept their patience, refused to panic and scored some brilliant tries off broken play instead.

For Ireland to win, they may have to play more of a territorial game initially, frustrate the French, force them to taking unnecessary chances and making mistakes.

Do that and their new-found confidence will take a hit.

Allow them the time and space to express themselves and another Parisian defeat awaits.

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