Les Bleus beware.
Giant young Ireland lock Paul O’Connell is still smarting from last Saturday’s one point loss to the Wallabies in the boilover in Melbourne.
“We really threw it away against Australia,” admitted O'Connell.
And don’t mention anything about honourable defeats.
“We want to get away from having the moral victory. We really should have beaten Australia.”
Despite the loss O’Connell is buoyed by the way his team were able to compete with, and in many facets get the better of, the defending RWC champions.
“That Australian game just goes to show. Hopefully now we can make the step up.”
That step will need to be taken in tonight’s quarter final when the men in green take on a French team glowing with some red hot form thus far in the Tournament.
Lineout highly rated
Word has come from some knowledgeable quarters this past week that Ireland may just possess the world’s best lineout.
Former Scotland great David Sole came out with the call that was seconded by towering Welsh lock Robert Sidoli.
Certainly on the strength of the match against Australia this claim is justified as O’Connell and his fellow tall timber merchant Malcolm O’Kelly helped themselves to five Wallaby throws to completely dominate the aerial battle.
But O’Connell is having none of it. In the best tradition of modern rugby players and coaches he is more intent on heaping praise onto his next opponents.
“I genuinely think France has the best lineout in the world. It is going to be a huge test for us.”
French threat
He bases his assertion on the fact that France are strong all the way down their lineout.
Not only do they have their big ball winning second rowers Fabien Pelous and Jerom Thion at the front and the middle, the tail possesses excellent leapers in world class back rowers Olivier Magne and Imanol Harinordoquy.
“We’ve been watching a bit of it on video, they use their whole lineout. [Noted lineout jumper Patrick] Tabacco has come onto the bench for the game against us," O'Connell said.
“They place a lot of importance on their lineout.”
Modest
Self effacing to the end, the man from Munster suggests any success he has in the lineout is down to his 'two excellent lifters'.
“They make a huge difference and also give us [jumpers] a lot of analysis.”
He was happy to put the pilfering performance against Australia down to luck.
“Everyone does it [contesting lineouts], we got a bit lucky. A lot of it is guess work and getting guys working together.”
Taking the weather with you
Ireland have had to play in some of the Tournament’s more inclement conditions: at a windy Central Coast Stadium in Gosford for their Tournament opener against Romania and a rain lashed Aussie Stadium for the clash with Namibia.
But O’Connell said it is a myth that the Irish team feel at home in the wind and rain.
“When you have guys like Brian O’Driscoll you want it hard, fast and dry. It doesn’t suit us playing in the wet.”
Speaking of dry tracks, despite being based in Melbourne for the week, O’Connell didn’t get down to Flemington last Tuesday for the race that stops a nation.
“With all the traffic and everything it was going to be a really long day. A few of the boys went but I decided not to with the big game at the weekend.”
Up with the best
Such focus is typical from a player who, at just 24, is fast developing into one of the best locks in world rugby after an injury plagued northern season.
But such is the strength in depth of this Irish squad that he knows he is only a bad performance away from the bench.
He points to the dropping of his Munster teammate, veteran number 8 Anthony Foley in favour of Victor Costello for tonight’s do or die match as proof of this.
“It’s like when Glees [openside flanker Keith Gleeson] was dropped for Quinny [Alan Quinlan] for the Argentine match.
“We’ve all been dropped at one point or another. It’s actually a positive thing that says we’ve got a lot of strength in our squad. You look around and see Axel [47-Test veteran Foley] is gone and you think that can happen to any of us.”
Giving kudos
Despite Ireland having the better of France in three of their previous four meetings, including the 15-12 Six Nations triumph in Dublin in April, O’Connell insists France are rightful favourites for the quarter final.
“The French team has taken a few bigger steps than we have. They won a Grand Slam last year. They are starting to approach top form at this World Cup as they seem to do for all World Cups and the bookies kind of know that France are coming right.”
Maybe, but as O’Connell runs out onto the Telstra Dome tonight he knows France will only be as good as their last game.
And he’ll strive to make that a loss.