France v Ireland:REGRETS, THE Six Nations have a few, but when it comes to apologising to the 80,000 fans who attended last Saturday's fiasco in the Stade de France and especially the estimated 5,500 travelling Irish supporters, like the French Federation, it would appear sorry is the hardest word for the tournament organisers.
To compound this, the rearranged date of Sunday, March 4th (kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish) for the postponed France-Ireland game further inconveniences any away fans who might be of a mind to travel to Paris.
Decided primarily because there is a full programme of Top 14 matches in France on Saturday March 3rd, with Clermont hosting Toulouse at 4pm French time, the Six Nations chief executive John Feehan said: “It’s not ideal, I would fully acknowledge that,” adding: “It’s very regrettable and I fully understand the IRFU are quite upset by the fact that the game is being staged on a Sunday but I don’t think we had an option.”
Now the second leg of four successive games for both countries, it gives Ireland only a six-day turnaround before hosting the Scots the following Saturday, whereas it ensures the French have three successive Sunday games and therefore successive seven-day turnarounds. There will be no post-match banquet. The Irish squad can return to Dublin that night.
Expressing its preference for the date of Saturday, March 3rd, with an afternoon kick off, in contrast to the Six Nations’ Council official release, an IRFU statement revealed both dates were discussed but “the decision was taken by the majority of the council”.
The 12-member council, which convened by telephone-conference on Monday and Tuesday, contains two representatives from each member Union or Federation, and it thus seems safe to assume Peter Boyle and Pat Whelan voted against March 4th.
The French delegates, Jacky Laurans and Jean-Claude Baque, would have expressed a preference for after June 9th or next season, but if given the choice of March 3rd/4th, would have reluctantly opted for the latter.
At a hastily arranged media briefing at their head offices in Simmonscourt House, the Six Nations’ chief executive John Feehan reiterated their “regret” and when asked why there had been nothing in the way of an official apology to Irish supporters (the IRFU sold its allocation of 4,800 tickets) he said: “We would like to be able to say more but at the end of the day we very much regret what happened.”
Presumably expressing “regret” rather than apologising is preferable legally.
The Six Nations were “delighted” the French Federation have announced a ticket refund scheme for those who will be unable to attend the rearranged game, details of which “should be available” today. Whether supporters share this elation is another matter and Feehan acknowledged a Sunday game inconveniences away fans further.
Asked therefore, whether the Six Nations or FFR had any kind of gesture in mind for those willing to attend the game, be it travel from the centre of Paris or whatever, Feehan responded: “Well, what we have decided today is a refund for the tickets and beyond that I can’t comment.”
Feehan maintained the French Federation “felt sure they could stage the game even at 9 o’clock at night”. When asked if there was frustration with the FFR – given, for example, French football moved games forward last Saturday on foot of an accurate long-range forecast – he reiterated this and ventured: “It just didn’t work out, and we’ll just have to review that kind of system in the future.
“In terms of dragging games forward we had no request from anyone to move the game forward. Even if we did I think we’d have to postpone it because we had other games on that day as well.”
But, as Italy v England was at 5pm French time, what about a 2.30pm kick-off in Paris?
“I suppose it could have (been done), but four or five days out they felt they were able to stage the game at 9pm.”
The rearranged game “would be covered under Clause 9 of the IRB” and hence player release “shouldn’t be an issue”, while the proposal from the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) and, on foot of this, FFR President Pierre Camou, to have the game some time after the Top 14 final on June 9th was given short shrift by the Council.
“In June Ireland are touring New Zealand, and September would hurt the whole integrity of the competition.”
LNR President Pierre-Yves Revol issued a statement last night noting test rugby had made the Top 14 suffer but welcomed the aligned stance of the FFR and hoped this signified a new desire to “work together” towards improving the calendar.
In response to yesterday’s announcement, Trevor Brennan Tours, for one, will be running a day trip in the region of €275 per person, details of which will be confirmed today.
IRELAND’S OTHER FIXTURES:
Saturday, February 25th: v Italy, Aviva Stadium, 1.30pm. Saturday, March 10th: v Scotland, Aviva Stadium, 5pm. Saturday, March 17th: v England, Twickenham, 5pm.
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