THE BERETS are back on the streets as thousands of French rugby fans descend on Dublin for their side’s big match against Ireland tomorrow.
An estimated 5,000 tickets have been sold to French supporters, who are hoping to see their team win the first Six Nations match in the Aviva stadium.
Unfortunately for Eric Demeer and seven of his friends, as of yesterday they were not among the lucky French few to have a ticket. They were in high spirits nonetheless as they went in search of a willing scalper on the streets of Dublin – and there is always the fallback of watching the match in the pub.
Demeer comes from what he insists is the “true home of rugby” – Biarritz . He has been to Ireland twice before, leaving with fond, if blurry, memories.
Others arrived a little bit more organised, with professionally run rugby tours appearing to be popular among Les Bleus.
Several Midi Olympique Voyages employees stood in Dublin airport yesterday morning awaiting some 600 rugby enthusiasts off the noon flight from Toulouse.
They had planned to frequent some of the pubs of the capital city last night before taking a tour of the breweries today – and of course making it to the game.
According to tour director Jean Tomase, the best thing about coming to Ireland is the music and the friendly people, perhaps keen to emphasise that it isn’t all about alcohol.
For the 18 “former greats” of the Albi rugby team who had made the journey from the south of France, there was no need to wait for an Irish pub to get the party started. Dressed in the yellow and black jerseys of their home club, they had come well prepared with plenty of bottles of red wine on hand as well as an old French favourite, pastis, a drink that is certainly not for everyone.
The strange liquorice flavour of pastis may not be the only bad taste left in Irish mouths by the time they leave tomorrow night, according to the boys from Albi, as they all confidently predict a French win on the pitch.
Alan Besset, the unofficial “boss of the group” gives a conservative guess of an 18-12 victory over the Irish.
This is Besset’s fourth time in Ireland, which he really enjoys visiting. His only venture outside of Dublin brought him down to the Shannon region, where his abiding memory is of small roads with more sheep than cars.
Unfortunately for Declan Kidney and his charges, Besset does not foresee the French team having the same difficulty getting through the Irish defence as he had getting through the livestock on the boreens of Munster.