Thank God we're all over that Parisian heartbreak. Or not

TV VIEW:WHEN THE rugby lads lost in Paris last month they bemoaned the fact they had to wait two whole weeks before their next game, leaving them having to endure a fortnight's inquest, 14 whole days to stew in their disappointment.

The football lads, though, needed hardier engines because they’ve had to suffer 15 weeks of folk asking them if they’re over their Parisian misfortune yet.

Take Shay Given. Only recently he was asked in an interview about Paris and the sex lives of his fellow professionals – unrelated issues, it should be said. It left Shay sort of stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, because, evidently, neither issue was one he particularly wanted to discuss at any great length.

We forgot to do a word count, but we think he had more to say on John Terry and Ashley Cole’s away days. That wasn’t a lot, mind (eg, “it’s none of my business really”), but it pained him less than having to reminisce, yet again, about Paris.

So, at last, a game, the 15 weeks were up. A chance, if you still hadn’t recovered entirely from “you know yourself”, to erase the memory bank, start afresh, move on and, as yer man in Ipswich said, get over it.

Lest we’d forgotten, though, RTÉ plastered the French fella all over our screens just as we were settling down to watch the game in London. Bill O’Herlihy then reckoned it was the media’s fault the issue hadn’t been buried once and for all.

When we dropped in to see how the ITV fellas were doing, we heard Steve Rider asking Andy Townsend “how much is tonight’s game part of the recovery process for Ireland after what happened in Paris”, Steve half-suggesting that victory would sort of make up for us not reaching the World Cup finals. Right.

And then ITV reminded us that England would be there, before introducing their once-in-a- lifetime, not-to-be-missed competition for a glorious trip to South Africa. May a rhinoceros sit on the winner’s face.

Back on RTÉ, Giovanni Trapattoni was promising us “a very beautiful evening”, even though Brazil are a team that “can score a goal every moment”. The absence of Richard Dunne and John O’Shea, obviously, had him concerned about his rearguard.

“We must play a good game and look for no lose,” he told Tony O’Donoghue, leaving the panel concerned that the Samba football produced by the team in Paris was just a bit of a blip.

Time for a quick tribute from Trapattoni to “the faymoose Liam Brady”, set to depart the international scene after the Brazil game.

“Wot a player,” said Jim Beglin of his former Irish team-mate back on ITV, but then he and Peter Drury were at it again.

“Ireland overwhelmed by worldwide sympathy, post-Henry and all that,” said Drury.

“I suppose Paris will never be forgotten, but you can’t dwell on a negative either,” said Beglin. No, it’s best not to.

Ronnie Whelan, meanwhile, was scratching his head over the inclusion of an Arsenal old-boy in the Brazilian line-up, suggesting that “all of Brazil must have a better player than Gilberto Silva somewhere”. As for Robinho?

“A sunshine boy,” suggested Bill.

“But a talented sunshine boy,” said Giles, which kind of surprised us. To be honest, we suspect if Giles had ever managed Robinho he’d now he bald. Giles, not Robinho.

Almost game time. Matt Holland? What d’you think? “It’s close to the team that played in Paris and this a chance for the lads to get that heartbreak out of their systems.” Stop. Now.

First half. Not half bad, Damien Duffinho rolling back a year or three on the wing, Glen Whelano and Keith Andrewsinio looking lively in the middle. Scoreless at half-time, if you don’t count that Andrewsinio own goal.

“It’s a very, very good game Bill,” said a more-than-a-little- gobsmacked Giles, who usually comes close to drifting in to a deep coma during these class of games. “It was,” he said, “much better than I expected.”

Eamon Dunphy, too, wasn’t all that unhappy. Seriously.

“Incredibly encouraging,” he declared, which almost resulted in Ronnie falling out of his seat.

Second half? “A bit of a bummer really,” said a downcast Bill, “but were there reasons to be cheerful?” Well.

“There is some hope,” Dunphy reassured us, but Ronnie was a bit worried, noting that we were only missing two first-choice players and so the second half performance, in particular, should give us a few sleepless nights.

And why was the second half performance so poor? Ronnie wasn’t certain, but wondered if it was something Trapattoni had said at half-time. He wasn’t sure what. “We must play a rubbish game and look for a lose?” Who knows.

Giles was a bit concerned too. “A bit dispirited and a bit outclassed,” he said.

But, look, at least Paris was out of our system, long since forgotten.

A quick flick over to ITV. They were advertising that competition again.

But are they happy?