France playing mind games

IRELAND coach Eddie O'Sullivan has cranked up the tension ahead of today's crunch RBS 6 Nations showdown with France by accusing opposite number Bernard Laporte of playing mind games.

Laporte criticised Ireland earlier this week when he backed English coach Andy Robinson in his now famous dressing-down of South African referee Jonathan Kaplan for his performance in Dublin a fortnight ago.

However, the French coach took the criticism to new boundaries and O'Sullivan believes it is all a ploy to put pressure on today's referee Tony Spreadbury of England.