French have got their act together

Notions of Ireland winning the championship certainly look a bit fanciful now. In truth, even if they'd put another 50 on the Italians, an ensuing victory over the French wouldn't have prevented England from winning the title in Rome on Sunday week anyhow. Instead, it would now require an Italian win over England in the Stadio Flaminio, and that's in the category of pigs taking flight.

So, as well as the head-to-head confrontation, whereas a pumped up France have the challenge of trying to win a Grand Slam, Ireland's additional carrot will be to secure second place for the second year running. Worryingly, though, despite two weeks of fairly solid preparation for last Saturday, Ireland look a bit stale. The Italian game was their ninth international in a little over six months, a draining schedule which for much of that time was accentuated by Celtic League and European Cup commitments for the bulk of the squad.

At least the old Parisian defeatism should now be a thing of the past. The last four games against the French were probably the most enduringly consistent and impressive thread running through the Warren Gatland era. Given the run of 13 successive defeats which went before (and eight hammerings in Paris by an average losing margin of almost 23 points), the bald facts still make impressive reading: a 16-18 defeat in Paris when 16 to 1 underdogs against a side which went on to reclaim the Grand Slam; a 10-9 defeat in Dublin the next year; that memorable, Brian O'Driscoll-inspired 27-25 win in Paris two years ago and last season's 22-15 win in Dublin.

However, not alone have Ireland not been scaling the heights of those latter two efforts against the French in their three most recent championship outings, but France now look an altogether stronger side.

First and foremost, the porous and decidedly uncreative midfield of the last two clashes between the countries has been replaced.

Whereas the Stephane Glas-Cedric Desbrosse axis of two years ago was shredded by Rob Henderson and Brian O'Driscoll, as even more so was the Franck Comba-Richard Dourthe partnership of last year (it effectively signalled the end of Dourthe's international career), France now have a big, serious midfield partnership in Damien Traille and naturalised Kiwi Tony Marsh.

While Marsh's second try on Saturday against the Scots was basically a run-in to slick team play, his first was the product of perfect synchronisation between Traille's pass and his well-angled run. It's doubtful whether such a try would have been within the range of the aforementioned French midfields.

Furthermore, in addition to O'Driscoll, Rob Henderson has been a major defensive and offensive weapon for Ireland in those latter two wins (indeed, in the clash four years ago as well), and this season Kevin Maggs has been Ireland's defensive orchestrator-in-chief.

He had become the team's most vocal and influential defensive cog prior to breaking his arm, and even the players, while adamant in maintaining that Mike Ford's new defensive system is the way to go, also admit that they're having their teething problems with it and that it will take 18 months to get right.

Admittedly, the French haven't exactly been pulverising teams, and even Italy made them labour, much like they made the Scots and Ireland work for their points, while they were run desperately close by Wales. Accordingly, bookmakers Paddy Power, having taken a little bit of a hit in overpricing Ireland's favouritism at first 40 points and then 36, have installed France as 12-point favourites in Paris, which is likely to be a general benchmark.

Even so, as away wins go, especially at their Murrayfield black spot, France won handily enough by two clear scores on Saturday, and will probably be further strengthened by the return of lock David Auradou and Pieter de Villiers, probably the best tighthead in the world right now.

An excellent scrummager and highly regarded lineout lifter, de Villiers also has a high tackle count. But what really sets him apart from other tightheads in the world game is his phenomenal pace for a prop. It's not unusual for de Villiers to run in tries from half-way in the French first division, and reportedly he is the fourth quickest player in the Stade Francais squad.

Bearing in mind Ireland's troubles in the scrum against an Italian frontrow without Andreo Lo Cicero and Andreo Muraro, de Villiers' expected return must be a concern. The French have a big but mobile tight five, and the balance in their backrow trio hasn't looked this good in years.

Serge Betsen is now a reformed, more professional character by his own admission, and is playing the best rugby of his life, while, in another fascinating head-to-head between the two, Olivier Magne is cut from a similar, strong-running, rangy cloth as David Wallace.

True to his word, Bernard Laporte has succeeded in gradually curtailing France's once famed and self-destructive lack of discipline. Even allowing for Alain Rolland perhaps being a bit more lenient than other referees have been on France, in Edinburgh particularly, the concession of just six penalties must constitute a French record in Murrayfield.

All in all, les Bleus have their game going pretty well right now. They have been spreading opponents across the full width of the pitch in true Gallic fashion, but, when they've had to, Gerald Merceron has also kicked for position impressively. As an accomplished and commanding all-round outhalf, Merceron is unrecognisable from the uncertain figure Ireland faced in Paris two years ago. Most of all, though, France's improvement since the brilliant Fabien Galthie returned to the fold after missing the Italian game has been obvious.

Every outstanding teams needs their leaders, look at England last November without Martin Johnson, when Keith Wood was truly inspiring. This Irish team look as if they could do with the kind of psychological and emotional lift which the return of the bald wonder would provide.