Can we end the year of the French?

The general impression seems to be that Ireland are in danger of a hiding on Friday when they take on France in the Rugby World Cup in Paris. Michael Moynihan looked for reasons to be cheerful. And in the interests of balance, reasons to be fearful.

PRESSURE FROM WITHOUT

WHERE do you start? At the top. Bernard Lapasset, President of the French rugby union, spoke last week of a sense of “betrayal”. Trouble is brewing between the French team and broadcasters TF1, who have been persuaded to stop screening behind-the-scenes clips of the team, despite their €440,000 contract guaranteeing access. The French public are reeling from defeats suffered by their footballers (1-0 to Scotland) and basketballers (75-71 to Russia) — and demanding their rugby players avenge those losses. At every press conference, coach Bernard Laporte is hounded about his website selling replica French jerseys for €149, when they’re available for €70 in the shops. So far Laporte’s weak referral of inquiries to his business manager isn’t easing the pressure any.

And of course, pressure from without leads to . . .

PRESSURE FROM WITHIN

UNDERSTANDABLY, Laporte was disappointed after the loss to Argentina, and in a moment of refreshing honesty, admitted that he’d expected his forwards to have their hands full in that game but added that they’d done well — it was the backs who’d been nervous and fragile. The following day, former captain Fabien Pelous contradicted his coach — gently — by saying it was a collective failure rather than the backs’ fault, but a contradiction nonetheless. Captain Raphael Ibanez was dropped for Sunday night’s game against Namibia but his presence at a Friday press conference alongside Laporte — unusual for a non-playing squad member — was viewed in France as backing up his coach. Then, last Wednesday, Sebastian Chabal left a press conference abruptly because he was asked a question in English. The French lock, who plays with Sale in the Zurich Premiership, said: “We’re in France, we speak French, okay?” And then departed. All of which provokes us to ask . . .

HOW SETTLED ARE FRANCE?

WE could have asked if France are really that good — not the phrasing Eddie O’Sullivan would have wanted this week — but it’s worth wondering if Laporte knows his best team. The better sides in this World Cup — the southern hemisphere teams — know their optimum 15, but has Sunday’s victory over Namibia posed more questions for Laporte than it answered? Twelve changes, no matter how well they’re rationalised, is huge disruption, and some players, such as Clement Poitrenaud and Vincent Clerc, must now be in pole position for selection against Ireland. That game is in the Stade de France, of course, not in the rugby heartland of Toulouse. As seen against Argentina, that may yet be a reason to be cheerful in and of itself.