Irish resistance set for big test against France

Ireland return to the familiar surroundings of the Stade de France this evening, caught between feelings of what might have been and what they hope is to come.

That the great tournament they are missing out on this summer is now just around the corner should be all too audible and visible in the stands of the national stadium, as the Paris crowd get a chance to bid farewell to the Les Bleus before, via stop offs in Nice and Lyon for final warm-up games against Italy and the USA respectively, Didier Deschamps and his men fly out to the World Cup in Russia.

And even then, there will be one final painful reminder for the Irish of a dream that died ingloriously in Dublin last November when, in their final group game — having already played Australia and Peru — the French will go head to head with Denmark on June 26.