PLANET SIX NATIONS

Coaches take different spin on win

IT CAN be a matter of perspective at times, and certainly a little subjectivity rather than objectivity can be introduced into post-match analysis. Never was this more evident than the post-match remarks of the respective coaches after France beat Ireland in the Six Nations Championship match at Stade de France last year.

The French won 26-21 after leading 19-6 at the interval before a spirited Ireland revival saw them come within a whisker of completing a marvellous recovery.

French coach Marc Lievremont: “We are proud of the way our players performed. We deserved to win.” Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan (right) ventured: “I feel France got out of jail.”

Irish last got drop on France in 2003

THE LAST time Ireland beat France in the Six Nations Championship was in March, 2003, at Lansdowne Road in a game that was principally decided by the boot. David Humphreys kicked four penalties for the home team, while his French counterpart, Francois Gelez, responded in kind, matching the total exactly. It was left to Ireland fullback Geordan Murphy to decide the result, courtesy of a drop goal.

Since that day Ireland have gone on to lose the last seven matches against the French, two of which were World Cup games, in 2003 (Melbourne) and 2007 (Stade de France).

IRELAND: G Murphy; J Kelly, B O’Driscoll (capt), K Maggs, D Hickie; D Humphreys, P Stringer; M Horan, S Byrne, J Hayes; G Longwell, M O’Kelly; V Costello, K Gleeson, A Foley.

FRANCE: C Poitrenaud; A Rougerie, X Garbajosa, D Traille, V Clerc; F Gelez, D Yachvili; JJ Crenca, R Ibanez, S Marconnet; F Pelous, O Brouzet; S Betsen, O Magne, I Harinordoquy.

Referee: A Watson (South Africa).

Thanks heavens Clerc is still away

THE NAME Vincent Clerc is enough to strike terror into the heart of Irish rugby supporters as the diminutive Toulouse wing has singlehandedly unseated Irish ambition in the last two Six Nations Championship matches between the teams: this column won’t even go into the fixture between the sides at the 2007 World Cup where Clerc excelled again, crossing for two tries.

In the first rugby match to be played at Croke Park, it was Clerc who denied Ireland a victory on an historic day when he crossed for a try with virtually the last play of the match and then last season at the Stade de France he helped himself to a hat-trick of tries in the first 36 minutes of that Six Nations game.

In all, Clerc has faced Ireland on five occasions from 2003 to last season’s clash, scoring seven tries in the process. The good news, from an Irish perspective, is the wing is not yet match fit after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Cipriani dropped to Saxons squad

OUTHALF Danny Cipriani has been demoted from England’s Six Nations squad for Saturday’s opening match against Italy at Twickenham.

The Wasps player has been included in the England Saxons squad to face Ireland A on Friday, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said yesterday.

Toby Flood is expected to play outhalf against Italy and Brive number 10 Andy Goode has been added to England’s elite squad as cover.

Gloucester back James Simpson-Daniel has also been added to the senior squad. while Leicester Tigers scrumhalf Harry Ellis has been demoted to the Saxons.

SCOTLAND have two major injury concerns, with Northampton prop Euan Murray and Perpignan lock Nathan Hines both missing training at Murrayfield yesterday afternoon.

Team doctor James Robson said: “We will monitor the progress of Euan (rib) and Nathan (knee) on a daily basis.”

O’Gara 6 Nations points guv’nor

WHILE IRELAND’S Ronan O’Gara (413) is the all-time leading points scorer in the Six Nations Championship, none of the top four in the French list, headed by scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili (165) are involved in the current Tricolores squad.

Leading try scorers (SN): Ireland – Brian O’Driscoll 17; France – Philippe Saint-Andre 11.

Tallest player (SN): Ireland – Malcolm O’Kelly 2.03 metres; France – Jerome Thion 1.98 metres.

Most capped (SN): Ireland – John Hayes 44; France – Fabien Pelous 46.

Did you know?

WILLIAM Webb Ellis, the man who is given credit for inventing the sport of rugby while playing at Rugby College in England, was born in Manchester but his father was a member of the First Dragoon Guards and was stationed in Ireland at the time.

STADES Colombes, one-time home of the French national team, was renamed Stades Yves du Manoir, Paris, for several years after the death of French outhalf Yves du Manoir, killed aged 23, in a plane crash.

He won eight caps between 1925-27 and there is a memorial erected to him outside the gates of the stadium.

FRENCH rugby icon Serge Blanco won 12 of his 93 caps for his country out on the wing, earning the remainder in his favoured position of fullback.