Character needed as Ireland absorb the pain and lessons from Paris

“I know we will bounce back," Cian Prendergast says. 

Ireland's Cian Prendergast and France's Theo Attissogbe. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Momentum. France had so much of it on Thursday evening and Ireland so little. Of all the intangibles, none are more prized in the gruelling sprint that is the Six Nations.

Trailing 29-0 in Paris is not where anyone wants to find themselves with more than half an hour to go on opening night. The two tries Ireland found in belated response hold only limited weight on the other side of the scales.

The Thursday night kick off actually gives Andy Farrell and his squad some extra time to digest all this and work on the few seeds sown on what was mostly barren ground in Saint-Denis. But it feels a bit early to be bringing out those ‘positives’?

“Its hard to know individually because at the time all you’re thinking about is the loss, but the lads showed in the second-half, to put ourselves in a position where we could come back after giving ourselves that huge task,” said Cian Prendergast.

“I know the character of this group.

“I know we will bounce back. The Six Nations isn’t lost. It’s never won or lost in the first round so we’ll show up to work on Sunday, we’ll be honest with each other in how we review it and we’ll be a better side off the back of that.” 

They really need to be.

Better in so many different aspects, and in the round, because any doubt as to the trouble this team now finds itself in should be utterly dispelled by what we saw unfold in the French capital.

Prendergast talked about pitching up there with the belief that a win was within their compass. They look more than a bit lost on the back of it now. Rudderless even. A side that has fallen off the game’s elite ledge rather than one still clinging on to it.

Farrell’s displeasure afterwards was focused mostly on his team’s lack of intent in that first 50 minutes. That was clear when he spoke to TV and to the written press shortly after it. It was jarring to hear given all we’ve seen from this Irish side. His Irish side.

“I don’t want to speak for anyone else but we definitely felt under pressure in the first-half,” said the Connacht captain on that. “They were playing some brilliant rugby but at times we probably allowed them to play some brilliant rugby and that’s the disappointing thing.” We should pause on that for a bit here. The French were sublime at times.

“Definitely, they are a class side. They have players, physicality, X-factor all over the field, pace. Their wingers are brilliant and obviously yer man at nine is exceptional. He’ll punish you. Look, for me personally, I can only learn from this going forward.” 

Maybe the most alarming side to it all was not the five tries and umpteen line breaks conceded. France can do that to a team. It was the misfiring Irish attack that could be of greatest concern as they look ahead to Italy next week and beyond.

Whether it was endless box kicks after one perfunctory phase, or the endless and intricate moves through the hands that followed and saw yards lost more than won, this does not look like an easy fix regardless of who wears what jersey.

In fairness to Prendergast, he refused the offer of an easy out when it was put to him that long and continuous bouts of scrambling in defence might have been a contributing factor to those struggles on the front foot.

“No. As an Irish forward you pride yourself on your fitness. I don’t think the amount of tackles you make should affect you. You’re presented things in the game and you’ve just got to deal with them.

“I definitely felt like we were under pressure. It felt like they were in the ascendency and you know what a French team is like, whether it is Top 14 or especially internationally, when they have that purple patch you are aware its almost like a tidal wave hitting you and it is hard to deal with that but there’s no excuses there.” 

The immediate net effect to all this will be apparent through the next week and especially if Italy can manage another win against the Scots in Rome on Saturday afternoon.

Farrell spoke about them going from the hunted to the hunters pre-tournament. Make no mistake, Ireland are still being hunted. It’s just that teams can smell the blood now.

For Ireland, they need to respond with a win, obviously, but a statement with it.

“Yeah, but as long as I’ve been watching there has never been any doubt about the character of an Irish team,” said Prendergast.

They will need it.