French happy to ‘win ugly’

For a team that has lost all three matches in this year’s Six Nations, the French have been remarkably positive as they prepare for what is undoubtedly going to be another bruising encounter against Ireland in Dublin this afternoon.

At their training ground in Marcoussis, just outside Paris, there have been smiles, joking and general bonhomie. Whether it is 100% genuine or not is hard to gauge because even the condemned man has been known to jest with his jailer; beneath it all lies the fear factor.

These are uncharted waters for this generation of French rugby players. The last time they lost their opening three fixtures in the championships was 31 years ago in 1982; they have claimed the wooden spoon just three times since the Second World War, in 1957, 1969 and most recently in 1999, a year in which they went on to reach the World Cup final.