‘We are not here to make up the numbers’ – O’Sullivan

• Published date: 05 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

Mercifully, the pitch at the Stade Saint-Symphorien seems to have coped admirably with it all, if not the sodden streets of Metz that took on a bit of a Venetian look under the downpours

Whether or not the elements have dampened the locals’ enthusiasm for the game, who knows, but as of yesterday evening a crowd of just 18,000 was being forecast, meaning about 10,000 seats in the stadium would be left empty. The hope is that the bulk of them will be filled by last-minuters.

There was a note of indifference too from the French media when national coach Hervé Renard arrived for his press conference at the ground yesterday, their numbers at least matched by the visiting Irish crew. That lack of interest might be hard to comprehend, this being such a richly talented French side, but – and it’s a big one – they’ve thus far failed hopelessly to realise their potential. Brilliance

And Ireland’s hopes of taking something from this game, the opener in their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign, might just rest on the French having another day when their individual brilliance fails to add up to the sum of its parts.

They gave a glimpse of their quality when they beat Ireland 3-0 in Tallaght last summer ahead of the World Cup, and while O’Sullivan insists not too much should be read in to that result – “a lot has changed since then” – it gave her a close-up view of just how gifted the French are.

“They are world class. They’re absolutely amazing. They’re fast, they’re strong, they’re athletic, and they have the technical ability as well. We know we have a massive task on our hands against them, but we’re not here to...