"You've forgotten how to win," the Irish chef d'équipe, Tommy Wade, told his team after they slid to a disappointing third in yesterday's Kerrygold Nations Cup, while the French roared triumphantly to the front to claim the Aga Khan trophy for the first time in 45 years.
The Irish and French had been nipping at each other's heels over the first two days of the Ballsbridge fixture and were level-pegging on two wins apiece when Wade declared France the chief danger to Irish hopes on Nations Cup eve.
Sure enough, once the French got their noses in front yesterday afternoon there was no reeling them back in, and Wade could only sit and watch helplessly as single mistakes spelt the death knell for an Irish win.
Last year's winners, Belgium, along with the French and the British, opened with clears from their number ones, but Peter Charles, in his traditional role as Irish pathfinder couldn't quite find the key and, with the front rail off the first of the water ditches, left the home side with a deficit from the outset.
Aga Khan debutant Cian O'Connor rapidly redressed the situation with a magnificent clear from Waterford Crystal to put Ireland back in the driving seat, but it was only a temporary respite when both Kevin Babington and Dermott Lennon returned four-faulters to allow the French back out to the front.
The British and Belgian challenges both faltered, to leave them tied with the Swiss on 16 faults at the halfway stage, while the French held the advantage on just four. Ireland, with an eight-fault tally, were second, one fence clear of the Italians.
But hopes of an Irish rally were dashed early in the second round when Peter Charles's mare, Corrada, which will be defending her Hickstead Derby title in 15 days' time, kicked off the front rail of the first.
The situation could have been salvaged with clears from Charles's team mates, but Cian O'Connor returned with eight and Kevin Babington repeated his first-round four, leaving Dermott Lennon looking for a zero to fend off the Italian push for the runner-up spot.
Lennon has been known to produce magic in similar situations, clinching team gold at the European championships in Holland a year ago, but the touch deserted him this time, and Liscalgot's mistake at the fourth allowed the Italian team through to second.
Patrice Delaveau, winner of Thursday's Kerrygold two-phase, was left with a pretty easy task to guarantee the French win. But he needed none of the two-fence cushion and, producing the second double clear for France, gave his compatriots the best possible excuse to crack open the champagne.
Cian O'Connor, obviously disappointed to miss out on an Irish win, still had reason for celebrations last night after clinching the €17,000 prize pot as leading rider in the Samsung Nations Cup league, while Waterford Crystal, which had turned in the only double clear in the Hickstead Cup a fortnight ago, was declared leading horse of the series.