IRELAND, newcomers to international rugby league, earned a thrilling draw against a strong France side in Paris last night but the celebrations were marred by an injury to St Helens stand-off Tommy Martyn.
The hero of St Helens' recent Challenge Cup triumph was stretchered off eight minutes from time clutching his right knee and he now faces a race to be fit for the Super League clash with London Broncos on Friday.
But a confident Martyn said: "It's my right knee, and not the one that has given me trouble over the last 12 months that needed reconstruction.
"I left the field as a precaution and I'm very hopeful I will be able to play against London."
Martyn produced an outstanding display on his Irish debut scoring two tries and setting u another for centre Richard Smith.
In atrocious conditions, Ireland trailed 24-16 at the break after the British-based French duo of Freddie Banquet and Jean-Marc Garcia had taunted Ireland with some superb attacking play.
Sheffield's Garcia scored the first two tries for France, although on both occasions, Martyn cancelled them out.
But Fabien Devecchi and Gael Tallec put the French in control again and when Devecchi grabbed his second shortly after the restart, the French appeared to be cruising.
But the Irish never gave up and hit back strongly in the final quarter. Bradford's James Lowes scored a typical try from dummy-half, and then Mark Forster brought them back into contention when he superbly gathered a kick into the corner to score.
Ireland were then six points adrift, with an all-out assault rewarded when skipper Martin Crompton crashed over from close-range, allowing Dublin's Phelim Comerford to kick the goal and clinch a deserved draw.
