Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

THERE WAS plenty of apprehension in France when Raymond Domenech's stuttering team were drawn to play Ireland in the World Cup play-off, yet a dramatic shift in opinion has followed Saturday's slender win. Despite the unconvincing nature of the performance, a host of experts believe Les Bleus are as good as qualified for South Africa.

If the French press were full of caution last week, the mood has lightened considerably and there is no longer any talk of Ireland's fighting spirit or set-piece threat. The barrage of pressure the French defence had been anticipating at Croke Park never materialised, and nobody seems particularly worried about Ireland any more.