Present Tense

Notes from a large Île

February 11, 2008 @ 1:27 pm | by Shane

- I’m beginning to think that the rugby match is a penance that must be gone through in order to enjoy the rest of the weekend in Paris. People keep telling me that it was a great game. No it wasn’t. It was torture, compounded by how victory briefly appeared inevitable. A 30-point defeat is a clean cut to the soul. A narrow one after a surprise comeback is a cruel botch job.

- It was, without doubt, the worst rendition of Ireland’s Call yet. The male voice choir went a capella, starting with a low groan and then setting off at a random pace. You wondered how any team could avoid being enervated by it, never mind inspired.

- A truly great national anthem is one that makes even your enemies sing along. I haven’t been at a Paris game yet without hearing a few Irish voices join in with La Marseillaise. All together now, Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Naaaaa-Na-Na…

- Blue skies, warmth in the sun, the cafés and markets buzzing, the bars open all night. When you come back to Dublin, you feel immediately inadequate.

- The smoking ban seems to be working pretty well. But the French are still a nation of smokers.

- Charles de Gaulle airport is so expensive it triggers a condition we should call “Sudden Onset Till Shock”.

- I was happy to see a kid let through security with a plastic sword, because, as he approached the guards, one of my travelling companions told about the time he saw a lightsaber being confiscated from a child before he could board a US flight. Which is daft, because the last recorded lightsaber death happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

7 Comments »

February 11, 2008
2:37 pm

It’s funny that you say that about the Marseillaise- my French friends all insist Ireland’s call is better…

Comment by red

February 11, 2008
3:06 pm

Red - I just can’t imagine why. They must take it for granted. If so, then they shouldn’t, because it is a great bit of music.

Comment by Shane

February 11, 2008
4:58 pm

I remember when Ireland won 0-0 in Paris a few years ago. The entire Irish support (all 40,000 allegedly) sang along to La Marseillaise! It was quite stirring!

Anyway, who seriously pays attention to the French when it comes to their taste in music?

Comment by JD

February 11, 2008
6:36 pm

JD, that’ll be me ;D

Shane: agreed: it was a terrible game. I hated every second of it - soundly defeated in the anthems, first half humiliation, then another moral victory just because the French let us back in. We played more ugly, boot n’b*ll*ck rugby again and didn’t deserve to get close, never mind win. And WHY did Reddan turn back from the line in the last minute? He had the line wide open!

But the weather was nice.

Comment by aidan

February 11, 2008
6:46 pm

Ireland’s cause was assisted by the fact that France have swept aside most of the past and by French arrogance/bravery in bringing on two 22 year old replacements in the pack and a 21 year old scrum half. It was far worse than it seemed.

Comment by Ian

February 12, 2008
12:46 am

Shane, in many ways I’d nearly have preferred if the second-half had been a write-off as well with Clerc running in another three tries. I absolutely despise these moral victories.

At least Hook was once more in flying critical form before, during and after the match on RTE. I love the way that just as Dunphy is starting to love Irish football with the imminent appointment of Trapattoni, Hook is really losing the rag with Irish rugby.

Comment by good_son

February 12, 2008
10:58 am

Aidan - I’m not convinced it was a major turn around, although a sound drubbing of the Scots will perk me up in advance of the visit by Wales. We have to win those two games, and - realistically - beat England too. Not asking much, am I?

Ian - The coverage in the French papers was interesting, with the word FLAMBOYANT filling the headlines. They also reckoned it was a courageous display from the young players. They’re not down about their “moral defeat”.

Good-son - I missed Hook, but the previous week he went off on a brilliant impersonation of O’Sullivan’s TV interview.

Comment by Shane