French spreading the blame game

WELL, at least the beer on offer in the Stade de France is no longer under scrutiny.

In the rush to judgement after Friday night, French commentators have been spreading the blame around, with even the price of a pre-game lager in the stadium being linked to Argentina’s win over France in the Rugby World Cup opener. However, even though the said beer is €7 a glass, that looks like clutching at straws.

To give a taste of the atmosphere here, rugby magazine Midi-Olympique carried a one-word headline, “LOST!”; the newspaper Le Parisien couldn’t even manage a single word for its front cover the day after the game, simply carrying the evocative lament: “Aie, aie, aie!”.