Time to give Jacques a lash

THERE was no French translator present in the Stade de France for Ireland’s pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s make or break World Cup play-off against France.

Yet there were no vocal complaints from the small knot of local media folk who were hugely outnumbered by visiting journalists. The same kick-off time for the French press conference down at their sumptuous Clairefontaine base outside Paris was obviously a factor but, for a football match of such magnitude as tonight’s fixture here in Paris, you would have expected at least a few Gallic protests yesterday as Giovanni Trapattoni’s words were translated from Italian into English and, indeed, from England into English, but never into the hosts’ tongue.

But while the Irish scribes hung on his every word – when they weren’t getting hung up about his every other word – the French seemed to be taking an entirely relaxed attitude to the whole affair. And you couldn’t help thinking that, no matter what fine or fiery words might have been spoken by the Ireland manager or his team captain Robbie Keane yesterday, the French laissez faire approach was based entirely on their conviction that the only meaningful talking will be done on the pitch at the same venue tonight – and the fluent and winning words, they are thoroughly convinced, will all belong to Les Bleus.