BRIAN O’DRISCOLL believes Ireland can beat France on their way to Six Nations history – by not worrying too much about their opponents.
O’Driscoll knows what it takes to beat France, having scored a memorable hat-trick in Paris a quarter-century ago.
If that was a flash in the pan, getting the better of Les Bleus has become more commonplace, most recently with an impressive win in Marseilles last year.
France underlined their threat with an 11-try 73-24 victory over Italy in Rome but O’Driscoll reckons Simon Easterby’s men have what it takes as they bid to become the first team to win three Six Nations titles in a row.
He said: “I think we’re one-point favourites. You don’t see that very often, that level a game in the Six Nations. It shows how good a side they are and also how good a side are.
“The two best teams in the competition by a bit right at the moment.
“Their power game, aligned with this incredible skill level outside, the back three.
“It’s such a wicked combination and then you throw someone like Antoine Dupont in the mix as well, maybe a Romain Ntamack or Thomas Ramos going well.
“The centres are probably quiet on their behalf. Yoram Moefana had a great game last weekend and all of a sudden emerged and getting confidence.
“It looks like a unbelievably tough fixture.
“But we are a great side too. We won differently last weekend and found a way when it wasn’t perfect and I think that’s the sign of a good team that there is no panic, two scores behind.
“What would be different if we went two scores behind 25 years ago in France? Panic button hit whereas it’s such process focused whereas we were very emotional back then.
“That’s the big difference, using that emotion to get us going, I think they’re the opposite to that.
“It’s so next moment focused and what you can control. It’s more thoughtful and also well drilled.
“I think that felt like a bit of a one off for us back then and there were other victories to come, and it was a catalyst for more.
“But it was, let’s be honest, a break for the norm of going over there and not picking up a hiding. I know we ran them close two years previously in ’98 but the team from 2000 to now is unrecognisable in mindset.”
And he believes that could help them get over the line.
He explained: “I’ve got to back us at home, I do think it’ll be a one-score game but if we play well at home, we win.
“There’ll be a huge focus them, but the really top teams in the world, what I’ve discovered is they focus on their performance and not overly obsess on what the opposition will throw at them. If they implement their game plan, they win.
“The All Blacks had it for years, great teams look at it that way. It’s taken us a while to get there, but we’ve now found ourselves there.
“I think we’ll marginally win against France, but it’ll be a titanic battle, it’ll be great.”
Asked to pinpoint where the game would be won and lost, he added: “I think it’s all about the physical isn’t it?
“Matching the collision zone, winning the ruck. It’s not a new phenomenon, it’s every team you play against.
“But it’s so important because of their power, because of their size. Paul Boudehent, Gregory Aldritt, Francois Cros – a big back row, two big second rows even without Emmanuel Meafou.
“You’ve got Dorian Aldegheri, Julien Marchand and Cyril Baille to come off the bench. There’s huge size there. So, first of all, match that and then how do you control le petit general at 9?
“He’s a joy to watch, except when he’s playing against your team. But he’s still a joy to watch then. It feels like he’s ahead of the game.
“I saw Eddie Jones talking about the best players talking about Fourie de Preez, seeing three rucks in advance.
“Dupont is that guy too. Every single ruck he is watching feet, body shapes, seeing where there’s an opportunity for him, even when he makes a bad decision.
“He made one really poor carry against Italy and he had just the wild upper body strength to wriggle out of a tackle and get an off-load away. No-one else has that capacity in that side.
“How do you stop him from getting front-foot ball? And that’s the collision zone.”
SCRUM-HALF CLASS
But if Antoine DUpont is the best scrum-half in the world, O’Driscoll believes that Ireland have the next best in Jamison Gibson-Park.
He said: “Gibson-Park had a slow start to the season, but the quality of his performances since Christmas…
“His defensive reads, his understanding of where he needs to be, closing space… He made a number of reads towards the end against Wales along with Robbie Henshaw and James Lowe.
“I’ve always said that Leinster have been very lucky to have him and Luke McGrath.
“He’s one of the best defensive readers but Gibson-Park has gone to the next level of seeing where the issue is going to lie moments ahead of it transpiring and that’s the secret sauce of No 9s. Dupont has that capacity, to see it before everybody else.
“The rest of his game, his kick game is relieving pressure, his exits, the 40 and 50m kicks, the kick for the try, when you’ve got a freebie, the quality of it.
“Maybe you’d want it a bit flatter in a perfect world, but to score off it…
“Actually, getting turnovers; that sort of stuff as well. He’s not Antoine Dupont in size, but he has that ability to win a shoulder and stay in the fight.
“When he sees a ball carrier isolated, lots of No 9s 20 years’ ago would have been saying ‘c’mon support, where are you? Clean my ruck out for me’.
“He’s the guy, he’s able to read it very well. In my eyes, we’re dealing with the best two No 9s in the world.”
