RUGBY:FRANCE'S CLEMENT Poitrenaud believes the experience he gained playing in the first ever rugby match at Croke Park will help him cope with the atmosphere during the opening Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium.
Four years ago the Toulouse fullback was part of the French side that won 20-17 in Dublin on an historic day for Irish sport.
Looking back now, Poitrenaud says the visitors couldn’t help but be conscious of how much the occasion meant to Ireland.
“We certainly felt the tension and the energy,” he recalls. “But it was more than that – there was genuine emotion.
“In the end it gave us some strength as well and it maybe inhibited the Irish team a little bit. That allowed us to win at the last second with a try from Vincent Clerc. We went on to win the tournament after that to so it’s an excellent memory.”
Citing the novelty of seeing trains passing under the stands, the 28-year-old has some fond memories of Lansdowne Road. But, just like in 2007, he’s hoping France can rise to the occasion at the redeveloped stadium.
“Lansdowne Road was a special venue,” he says. “It had a history of great matches and a pitch that a lot of great players set foot on. It was a bit old-fashioned but it was really nice. But now the history of this new stadium has to be written and it’ll start this weekend. I hope we’ll inaugurate it with a great match.”
Poitrenaud scored a try in France’s 33-10 win over Ireland in Paris last February but 12 months previously they lost 30-21 at Croke Park.
“I remember that game well. We produced a lot of good things but then the tide turned against us. I remember it was difficult because the weather wasn’t great.
“I wasn’t at the top of my game then as I was coming back from a broken leg. I was back in the French team but, unlike last year and maybe this year, I didn’t feel I deserved to be there in terms of my performances.”
The opening success over Scotland has released a lot of the pressure that was hanging over Marc Lievremont’s team ever since their 59-16 humiliation against Australia in November.
An early Maxime Medard try was timely and Poitrenaud, who was used as a second-half substitute last weekend, says it was desperately needed.
“I wasn’t there for the Australia match so maybe I didn’t have the same approach. But I definitely felt a kind of tension during the warm-up and not necessarily a positive one.
“Frankly the first try by Maxime, from a good defensive play and kick by Aurelien (Rougerie), was really good for us. I was watching it from outside but it freed up a lot of things.”
The French went on to win relatively comfortably but they are aware that it will not be enough to erase the memory of that thrashing by Australia. Indeed, Poitrenaud says they are expecting a much sterner examination on Sunday.
“Even if it wasn’t perfect, it was good to get back to winning ways,” he says. “But Ireland is the first big match of the tournament for us.
“That’s something we always say afterwards, but we had to take care of Scotland. It’s true that on paper anyway, and in terms of the standings, Ireland is a step up.”
With Maxime Mermoz out with a shoulder injury, Damien Traille has moved from fullback to inside centre. The French media believe that Declan Kidney’s side will kick a lot more than Scotland did, but after earning 42 caps, Poitrenaud thinks he’ll be capable of handling anything that is thrown at him. “I don’t think I’m weak on high balls or in the kicking game, even if it was the case a few years ago at the start of my career. I’ve worked a lot on those aspects of my game and I think I’ve demonstrated as much too, especially during the Grand Slam last year, showing that when things get difficult I’ll be there for my team.
“I definitely can’t kick as far as Damien but I’m confident I’ll be able to reassure my team-mates in that area.”
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