They were the favourites of the clash, this is a shame for us. But it was just as if France were playing at home. Their pace smothered the Irish.

It is true also that the absence of Brian O'Driscoll did us good and we took advantage of it. The Irish have had a complex of inferiority after losing their last four matches to us.

The French team showed how confident it was. In the second half the Irish could have won but Les Bleus remained united and kept up the pace.

In the last minute Vincent Clerc's glorious feat was fantastic. He showed he had what it took to stay with the French team and was the real hero of the match.

France definitely lived up to expectations. The objective on that second match was to brush away the disappointment of the Autumn Test-matches and also to have a psychological advantage over Ireland before they face again at the World Cup.

Now the Grand Slam is still possible for the French, just as for England whose schedule is quite favourable.

If we manage to win at Twickenham it will be another feat of ours. But before that there will be Wales and we will have to be wary of them.

We have showed the high level of our game and we must keep it that way, putting a lot of pressure on the Welsh at the Stade de France.