France 17-17 Ireland-Gallant Men In Green Hold Out For A Draw In Paris

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney


A glorious opportunity escaped Ireland in the amphitheatre that is the Stade de France. They showed enormous resolve and courage against Les Bleus. Unfortunately however not all of their dreams came true as an international victory on French soil eluded them yet again.

There are a number of positives to be taken from this particular encounter though. In spite of Tommy Bowe's excellently taken tries, Rob Kearney oozed class all day long. He caught high balls with so much ease and grace it seemed as if they were approaching him in slow motion. He also made one eviscerating break which helped turn the tide in the second half when France really had Ireland on the back foot. Added to all that kicked very intelligently too.

It was also good to see the back row perform well as a unit. For the second week in a row Steven Ferris was again immense and dominated in any collision he took part in. Sean O'Brien also had one of his better games this year whilst Jamie Heaslip was gritty in the tight and selfless as always.

The intensity and defence was again another marked improvement from the Welsh game as ever led by the totemic Paul O'Connell who contrary to some beliefs is doing an amicable job as captain. As opposed to the now infamous passive defence which was used against Wales, Ireland were far more aggressive here and really got in the faces of the French. Indeed how often did the likes of Rougerie, Malzieu and Clerc really see space to spread their wings? Not very often.

For all that however there were of course negatives from the game. Our attack never really functioned and it was not until Kearney's break where we really put the French under pressure for a prolonged period of time. Admittedly one can only imagine the game plan was to play in the French half and not make mistakes hence the numerous amount of Garryowen's.

This ploy did work to a degree but at the same time Tommy Bowe's second try came from one of the few occasions we attacked from deep. It was also hugely frustrating the number of penalties that were given away. Certainly Cian Healy was lucky to stay on the pitch for his offside which stopped a French attack in its tracks but the penalty count must have been in double figures against Ireland.

All in all the result will be disappointing for the players but a draw in Paris is nothing to be ashamed of. Home advantage and a degree more willingness to attack from deep should make the tie against an improving Scotland on Saturday something to look forward to.