The French had to rebook their Bondi Beach digs before flying out of Melbourne bound for a showdown with Six Nations rival England in the Rugby World Cup semi final series in Sydney on Sunday 16 November.
Team management booked the tour party out of Bondi, organising a direct flight from Melbourne to Paris in the event the French succumbed to the Irish challenge.
A comprehensive first half performance meant arrangements could be confidently made at half time for a Bondi return.
The Dream time
France qualified for their fourth RWC semi final against pre-Tournament favourite England, with a 43-21 win over Ireland in Melbourne on Sunday night.
Coach Bernard Laporte believes his team has gained in confidence from the four try performance, despite a period in the second half in which the Irish were able to post thre tries of their one.
"We have yet to win the World Cup,” Laporte said. “But we don't care who the opposition is. We have the means to win and we will give it all we've got.
"The more you play in a game, the more mistakes you are bound to make."
Laporte has in the past called England the best team in the world.
Raw talent
Fly half Frederic Michalak scored 23 points to play an impressive part in the victory. Interestingly not so long ago the main critisicm of Michalak was that he lacked consistency, particularly with his kicking. Not so against Ireland, the 21 year old kicking nine from nine.
The haul confirms Michalak as leading points scorer at RWC 2003, with 101 from two tries, 17 conversions, 18 penalties and a drop goal in four games, 27 ahead of England counterpart Jonny Wilkinson who kicked seven from nine in a 23 point performance in the 28-17 win over Wales.
England was beaten three tries to one, Wilkinson’s boot the difference with six penalties, a conversion and drop goal.
The Englishman has 14 penalties, 10 conversions and four drop goals for the Tournament.
Michalak, whose nickname is Tiny Fred courtesy of wing Christophe Dominici, had a birthday in camp at RWC and is two more productive performances away from the best 21st present a young bloke could ask for.
Michalak is more than a metronomic kicker, he is a fly half whose ability to read a game is disproportionate to his international experience.
"We wanted to see what we could do when we took charge of a game. It's a shame we slackened off towards the end. We had a great start and I am pleased we could keep it up.
"I'm delighted to be in a World Cup semi final as a young player. It is fantastic and also for the team. England won and go in as favourites and we as outsiders."
Magne enjoyed himself
Another reason the Tricolours are satisfied winners of a quarter final at RWC 2003 is the huge job done by the tight five, in one scrum bending the Irish front row back over on its second row.
The back row did its job. Oliver Magne scored the first try in his 70th match and emerging number 8 Imanol Harinordoquy collected his third RWC try, and lobbed the last pass to Jean Jacques Crenca to underline the power and strength he showed in the pool games.
It was not all good news
As excited as Magne was about the performance he had a cautinoary tale after the game.
The three tries the Tricolours conceded while leading 37-0 from the 49th minute were cause for concern.
"If we perform as we did today in the second half, we will be in trouble in next week's Semi Final,” Magne said.
“Tonight we got ahead of ourselves because of the lead we held."
As anticipated the game was very physical, the result bringing with it some bad news on the injury front, lock Olivier Brouzet is on his way home with a dislocated right shoulder to be replaced by the 200cm, 114kg Beziers lock, Thibault Privat, who has six caps.
There was a sewing circle in the dressing room after the match, Jerome Thion needing 20 stitches in a cut to his top lip, Sylvian Marconnet and Crenca also needing stitches.
Inside centre Yannick Jauzion has a cork but is expected to recover to take his place against England in the team to be announced on Wednesday.