Ready to spring surprise in Paris
Indeed, the only hope of an Irish victory appears to rest with a possible overconfidence on the part of coach Mark Lievremont, coach of Les Bleus.
To initially make six changes after winning the first game under Lievremont’s stewardship by 26-9 at Murrayfield, smacks of smugness and a belief that the visit of a struggling Irish side affords the ideal opportunity for experimentation.
True, Jo Maso remains from the Bernard Laporte era as team manager but Lievremont’s closest allies now are the former Toulouse flyer Emile N’Tmack as backs coach, with the lesser-known Didier Retiere in charge of the forwards.
It’s probably a case of wishful thinking that the French will underestimate us, but the French could also be reading too much into their win over hapless Scotland.
Eddie O’Sullivan certainly hopes so, although he is careful not to downplay a French side playing at home in front of their own fans and in conditions — if yesterday’s idyllic day proves a reliable guide — tailor made for Lievremont’s charges.
“I don’t think it makes much difference what team they put out,” said the Irish coach last night.
“Obviously, they’re happy with the result they got last week and are now keen to expand the squad. They feel they have the depth of talent that enables them to make those kinds of changes and that there won’t be much between last week’s team and the team they are putting out this week.
“The danger for us is that we might read too much into what France are doing. It’s more important that we focus on our own team and our own game. We know their team reasonably well; it’s still a relatively experienced side, in spite of all the changes they have made.
“Last week, there was a very strong spine of experience and I don’t think it’s any different this week. I think they’ll want to play the same way.”
While agreeing that last Sunday’s was a “balanced performance” by the French, O’Sullivan will have noted just how poorly Scotland played and how they coughed up at least one ridiculously easy try, that there was a forward pass in the build-up to another and that a favourable bounce paved the way for a third.
You just cling to the hope that an Irish team capable of going within seconds of the grand slam 12 months ago can improve hugely on what they have produced during and after the World Cup.
There are still too many good players both up front and among the back division for that not to be the case.
Although many around him were floundering at Croke Park a week ago, Ronan O’Gara maintained the form that has made him Munster’s key man.
Eoin Reddan, substitute Andrew Trimble, now restored to his best position in the centre instead of the injured but out of form Gordon D’Arcy and newcomer Rob Kearney, also looked the part.
The line-out was a grey area but forward coach Niall O’Donovan has been working on that all week and there should be a distinct improvement although it remains to be seen whether Bernard Jackman’s darts are consistently on the money.
Donncha O’Callaghan should be to the fore here and ball carriers of the calibre of David Wallace and Jamie Heaslip will hope to generate some aggression that has been all too inconspicuous of late.
Against that, you have to suspect that Lievremont has strengthened his scrum with the preference for Nicolas Mas ahead of Julien Brugnaut in the front row. But John Hayes and Marcus Horan have been around long enough to hold their own in the most difficult of arenas.
The Irish wouldn’t have complained at the omission of Vincent Clerc from the original French line-out but the bogey man is back, with his form on Sunday last suggesting he is probably more dangerous than ever.
And yet, I can’t help escaping the feeling that the new-look French team is fallible. The opening 10 or 15 minutes will be vital. The Irish must get among them from the start, put the scores on the board and see how the home side reacts.
Skipper Brian O’Driscoll put it like this yesterday: “They were given more scope against Scotland and it’s typically the French way. But if you can get in their faces and deny them time on the ball, there’s the possibility of it working against them as well.”
And Ireland also have to finally demonstrate that the mix of Munster forwards and Leinster backs can actually gel. They have failed dismally for far too long and this might well be the last chance for many to prove the critics wrong.
And there could hardly be anywhere better to do so than in the heat of an early spring afternoon in Paris.
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