La fierté retrouvée: French media reaction to beating Ireland

'L'orgueil des Bleus' – 'The pride returns' – roared the front page of Sud Ouest Dimanche yesterday as the French Sunday media celebrated their country's Six Nations win over Ireland.

Since last year’s World Cup campaign ended in humiliation at the hands of the All Blacks, a dark cloud has hung over French rugby.

But on Saturday some golden rays of sun split through the darkness as Guy Noves’ side edged Ireland at the Stade de France and the media tone was very much one of the new coach bringing the passion and pride that was so sorely missing, back to French rugby.

That tone was very much taken in La Depeche as they went with the front page headline of ‘La fierté retrouvée’ – ‘The newfound pride’.

And today they were still taking the positives with a headline of ‘Ils ont forcé leur destin’ – ‘They forced their destiny’ – over a piece about the importance of the key decision to kick for touch and go for a try when the scoreline was at 9-3. It would ultimately lead to the try and conversion that won France the game.

“It was a moment that lasted two or three seconds but it showed panache and was a gesture of both greedy risk and recklessness.”

In Dimanche Ouest France the smash-and-grab nature of the win was the focus with the front page headline of ‘Le XV de France arrache la victoire a l’Irlande’ – ‘French 15 snatch victory from Ireland’.

Le Parisien put it in simpler terms with a headline that also works quite well in English. ‘Les Bleus sont de retour’ – ‘The Blues are back’ – they wrote.

However the newspaper does question the French kicking game and whether or not it is good enough to see the side go on and win the Six Nations.

‘Ces Bleus-la donnent envie de crioire au futur’ – ‘Those Blues make you want to believe in the future’ – was emblazoned across the front page of La Montagne.

It is certainly clear for all to see that the giant that is French rugby is finally beginning to rise from its slumber as it is awoken by Guy Noves.