If…the one word that describes French rugby

ONE scintilla of over-confidence and Ireland get undone at the Aviva tomorrow. One whiff of arrogance, that’s all it would take. There shouldn’t be, and I expect there won’t be. Because if the French bring their A game, I think they will win in Dublin.

Fri, 24 Feb, 2017 - 00:00

Ronan O’Gara

An Irish rugby legend and record‑setting out‑half turned elite coach with La Rochelle. A prominent pundit known for frank, compelling, agenda-setting analysis.

Of course, everything about France comes with a big if bolted to it.Maybe I am clouded by living and working among them, but fair to say the French have more potential in their squad than Ireland? The big difference is that Joe Schmidt maximises his players’ capacities and capabilities every single time.

The French can be so inconsistent in their performance they can fluctuate wildly between a 2/10 and an 8/10 – and there’s not many international teams one can say that about.