What a difference a decade can make

A decade ago at home to France Mick Galwey was one of six new caps in what was a pretty decent Irish team, beaten 21-6 at Lansdowne Road. As the old warhorse reflected on that occasion yesterday it seemed almost like a different lifetime, never mind a different century.

On what was Serge Blanco's last appearance at Lansdowne Road, other Irish newcomers with Galwey were fellow lock Brian Rigney, number eight Brian Robinson, openside Gordon Hamilton, scrumhalf and captain Rob Saunders, and Simon Geoghegan.

With a front row of John Fitzgerald, Steve Smith and Des Fitzgerald, Philip Matthews in the back row, Brian Smith at outhalf, Ireland's record points scorer Michael Kiernan (in his last game) and record try scorer Brendan Mullin in midfield, Kenny Hookes and Kenny Murphy completed the line-up.

"It was a actually a very good team and we actually did okay against them," said Galwey. "But we were all holding down jobs, and the squad only came together on the Wednesday, when we did our first scrummaging session. The feeling was that France were all full-time with their clubs. That day, they had the legs on us in the last 15 minutes."

Ultimately Galwey had to wait until the seventh attempt last year (he had been an unused substitute once) before tasting victory over the French and now has two in a row.

"Looking back, we never really looked like beating the French, though in '98 and '99 we should have beaten them. I think the team learned from those games. We have the belief now, we now know how to win tight games. I wouldn't say we didn't believe we could beat them in '91, but there was a fear element - `Oh jaysus, these are the French.' That was at the back of your mind. On Saturday there wasn't that thinking. We know they're not fitter than us, not stronger, not better, not supermen. The Heineken Cup has been good for us all.

"Ten years ago (Laurent) Cabannes scored a breakaway try off the tail of the lineout. That wouldn't have happened on Saturday. It's a different game. It's a more complete game. You work on defence and you work on everything, even on the mental side of your game, something that you wouldn't have done 10 years ago."

Aside from being good to watch - ("Perhaps Ireland are the new France," suggests Thomas Castaignede) - this Irish team also looks like it enjoys playing the game.

"Back then Irish sides mostly played a 10man game. Now we play a 15-man game. It's a better game, it's a more enjoyable game, though I never thought I'd say that," said Galwey. It's also a faster, cleaner game. "I remember I came off after a fierce battering, with stud marks on my back and the back of my head 10 years ago. In the first two or three lineouts you virtually ignored the ball. You had to fight your corner. There aren't as many pile-ups now, no one wants a yellow card and if the referee doesn't spot you, you could still be cited afterwards. Even the French are cleaner," he jokes.

"In some ways I envy the boys who have a 100 per cent record against the French after two games, players like Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, John Hayes and Brian O'Driscoll. But in some ways it was good to go through the bad days. It makes you appreciate the good days."

Ireland have won five of their last six Championship matches and that Munster have backboned much of Ireland's rejuvenation this past year is indisputable; Saturday's front running, ball-in-hand endgame being a Munster trademark.

IT even comes down to the little things, such as the reaction, timing and lifting of Malcolm O'Kelly on the opposition throw by Anthony Foley and John Hayes, whose all-embracing contribution is gradually, finally, being appreciated. Were it not for the water-into-wine brilliance of O'Driscoll, not to mention the latter's hand-of-God try (bearing in mind his moniker in the Leinster dressingroom), Hayes would have been a viable contender for man of the match on Saturday.

Sure there were still some all-round flaws to Saturday's performance. The scrum still has room for improvement and the ball presentation in contact could be improved on. One other flaw which Eddie O'Sullivan will surely seek to redress, given the amount of ball run at the French, is the inability to enact a set reprise of a move akin to the try against South Africa, or indeed to just get the ball into the wingers' hands. Despite Ireland's two-to-one ratio of possession, the French wingers received seven passes to the Irish wingers' four.

In one unusual respect it was a better win than last year's in Paris. French legend has it that they are poor travellers but near unbeatable at home, yet recent campaigns have seen their historical trend bucked completely. In the last four seasons in the championship, France have won five and lost four at home, scoring 25 tries and conceding 22. Away from home they had won seven from eight before Saturday, scoring 28 tries and conceding only three.

France are also two-time World Cup finalists and an established superpower, winning back-to-back grand slams three and four years ago. They reached the last World Cup final and last November beat the All Blacks for the second time in two seasons.

Ireland had only beaten France twice in 25 years and not at home since 1983. It's also the first back-to-back wins over the French since 1972-73. This is the first championship Ireland have started with two wins since 1983, after the first ever away win over Italy, coupled with last season's first win in Paris since 1972 and a first win over Scotland in 11 years, a record win over Italy and a new try-scoring landmark in the championship.

This team is removing enough monkeys from their back to supply a zoo.

gthornley@irish-times.ie