Saipan and stabs in the back

ALL THINGS considered, it’s been a pretty fraught few days in France for Ireland. Early in the week, there were allegations in the French press about Ronan O’Gara, not to mention the rumours of Geordan Murphy’s wish to leave the camp.

This column can certainly confirm that Murphy walked out of the team hotel yesterday morning, though only as far as a waiting taxi. He, Brian Carney, Stephen Ferris and Peter Stringer appeared to head for the shops of Paris, however, rather than Charles de Gaulle Airport. (Note to French media: when there’s speculation about someone pulling a “Saipan”, it has nothing to do with what one newspaper here breathlessly described as “one of the biggest battles in the Second World War”. Contact Sunderland AFC if you want the context explained).

It hasn’t been that rosy in the French camp either, by the way. Quite apart from the pressure one would expect for a team hosting a World Cup there have been extraneous factors: coach Bernard Laporte has been dogged all week by reports in Le Canard Enchainee, a satirical journal, that he will not be appointed Minister for Sport if France do not impress in the rest of the tournament.

There are mutterings about Yannick Jauzion not making the team which do not gel with the official line, that he’s not quite fit enough for eighty minutes. French rugby union president Bernard Lapasset — the same Lapasset who spoke helpfully of his feelings of “betrayal” after France lost to Argentina — has described tonight’s clash in simple terms: “The most important game of the professional era.”

To cap it all, yesterday’s L’Equipe — rapidly falling off the IRFU Christmas card list — turned up the temperature when describing Eddie O’Sullivan as someone who, if he sat down to eat with you, would use the knife to stab you in the back.

So, no pressure on either side, really. A taste of the atmosphere in both camps provided plenty of contrasts during the week. On Wednesday, morning we went to Marcoussis, the French national rugby centre, where Les Bleus have been based, apart from their trip southeast to Toulouse for the Namibia game. Though the French have attracted criticism for staying aloof from their supporters — in comparison with the more relaxed regimes of Australia and New Zealand — the players rolled out to meet the press certainly didn’t have the uptight look of the stir-crazy.

The towering Jerome Thion was in good form, slapping the shoulders of old pals among the French journalists present; the ever-affable Serge Betsen made a point of coming over to the Irish reporters, with many a “Ca va” and friendly handshake; and captain Raphael Ibanez had a twinkle in his eye when talking about the promotion of his old pal from Wasps, Eoin Reddan, to Ireland’s starting 15 for tonight’s game.

Yesterday Brian O’Driscoll and Eddie O’Sullivan looked a lot less relaxed facing a large media scrum in their hotel in Paris. Rather than mingling with the assembled hacks to talk, the two remained on stage and dealt with the press in a formal question-and-answer structure. We won’t get all amateur-psychologist on the folded arms and body language.

Given the apparent tension, there wasn’t much of a surprise in hearing O’Sullivan describe the French media as a disgrace, admitting he and the players had been angered and upset by what had been written about one member of the squad.

Perversely, however, that press intrusion may have done O’Sullivan and his charges a favour. General disappointment with the Irish performances against Namibia and Georgia may now be put in the context of a beleaguered team facing dirty tricks from foreign media who are not playing by the rules. O’Driscoll said the matter wouldn’t be forgotten and the rest of the team would be giving O’Gara all the support he needed. Eddie O’Sullivan added that it all goes in the pot when it comes to motivation, not that motivation would be an issue tonight.

There was a time, not so long ago, when this scratchy, sniping week would have been the overture to a thunderous opening five minutes of sorting-out in this evening’s game.

That could still happen, of course, professional era notwithstanding.

Then the term ‘Saipan’, relating to one of the great battles of World War II, mightn’t be so far off the mark after all.