When asked by an Italian journalist if France might be the surprise team of the tournament after their 32 defeat of Ireland in the first match of the European Nations Cup in Padova yesterday, coach Bertrand Reynaud immediately put things in perspective: "No, we are just aiming to move from the third grade to the middle class."

Ominously, Ireland - fifth in Dublin four years ago - face the prospect of being shunted in the opposite direction after this critical reversal.

"It was very disappointing," said coach John Clarke, on his first major assignment. "We did not play well as a team. France were better on this occasion." Clarke did agree that it was encouraging that three of his rotating substitutes, Stephen Butler, Ivan Steen and Mark Raphael, gave the side considerable fresh momentum.

Butler, with his stylish midfield distribution, allied to the attacking skills of Steen and Raphael, did most to threaten the French defence in response to a second-half hattrick by Frederic Soyez, who opened the scoring in the 39th minute. Raphael earned a short corner for Butler to make it 1-1 within three minutes of the French goal, after Errol Lutton's strike had been parried. In the next raid, appeals for a penalty stroke were rejected, after which France broke away twice to go 3-1 up.

There remained hope when the industrious Nigel Buttimer scored in the 63rd minute, again following a corner rebound, but Ireland lacked a finisher of Soyez's calibre to salvage even a draw.

The Irish defenders, notably Galahad Goulet, played with composure in the scoreless first half, but the approach should have been more aggressive and lapses after the interval were punished.

It will be a case today of damage limitation against Holland, who opened their title challenge to Germany with a 4-1 win over Poland. Jacques Brinkman, in his 310th international, notched the second hattrick of the day.

The whole pattern of the tournament looks like following remarkably similar lines to the women's championship in Cologne when Ireland also lost their opening match 3-2, to the Ukraine.