Press remain unconvinced by Lievremont’s France

VINCENT CLERC was hailed as Moses by team-mate Cedric Heymans following his three-try haul against Ireland.

But yesterday’s French press were also wondering how their team had gone off the boil in letting a 26-6 lead slip before holding out for a five points win.

Le Parisien praised the Irish for their tenacity at staying focussed but came down strongly against the French pack, especially replacement prop Julien Brugnaut.

“No I am not in a state of grace, it is the man behind me. He (Clerc) is Moses, walking on water,” commented Heymans, slightly mixing up his religious metaphors given that it was Jesus who walked on water and Moses who divided the Red Sea to let the Israelites escape from Egypt.

Poor Brugnaut was disconsolate and was very frank in his opinions to the press.

“I am very disappointed and affected by this experience,” admitted Brugnaut, who played for France coach Marc Lievremont at Dax.

“It is for me to bounce back. I was too disappointed to even do the lap of honour afterwards, I just didn’t have the heart for it.”

Other players, though, put the second-half resurgence down to a mixture of believing they had the game won and not pushing harder.

“Little by little we felt the Irish were taking hold of us,” said flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo. “They were beating us in every sector. They regained their confidence and we were frightened they would come back.

“We were not in a good state of mind.”

Nevertheless Le Parisien titled their report on the match: “Panache, suspense, rugby as we like it to be” which makes a stark contrast to how they used to report on the days of the French under Bernard Laporte.

All the same, Le Parisien laid the blame for the about-face in both teams’ fortunes down to the lack of quality of the French replacements and the paper was very relieved that Nigel Owens had blown the final whistle when he did.

“Happily the referee did not allow the final lineout,” sighed the relieved journalist.

For august sports journal ‘L’Equipe’ victory was due to a sterling French defence.

“A golden defence” screamed the headline.

However, despite praising the Irish for sticking to the task, there were also words of harsh criticism.

“Ireland can bite their fingers. Losing important line-outs, throwing themselves into a style of rugby that was more individualistic than a team effort, while not having enough confidence in their forwards in the first-half, they missed a great opportunity.

“But against France and Vincent Clerc, it is true that, that is becoming a habit.”

For another of L’Equipe’s writers, Limerick’s Eoin Reddan was symbolic of the ‘fighting spirit’ of the Irish.

“In the first-half they were a team without any ideas in the backs and equally woeful up front.

“But despite the 20-point deficit in the second-half the Irish refused to lie down and came back strongly.

“The epitome of this and the catalyst for the comeback was Eoin Reddan, who was lively and opportunistic.”

However, there were mixed words for Brian O’Driscoll.

“The Irish captain is not perhaps in the best form at the moment, though he was outstanding in defence as was the imperturbable Ronan O’Gara.”