Barring a last-minute upset, the worst fears of the French rugby team will be confirmed this morning when Dublin wakes to a dry, sunny day.
Apart from the risk of early fog, Met Eireann predicts a repeat of yesterday's clear skies over the capital for this afternoon's Six Nations match.
And rugby experts were agreed last night that the conditions should allow Ireland's superior running and handling skills - so-called "Gaelic flair" - to triumph over the courage and passion of "the Fighting French".
Not all the rugby experts were drunk at the time, either, and this is what worries the Irish team. After last year's victory in Paris, confidence is high for a first home win since 1983 against the same opposition.
The Ireland captain, Keith Wood, was doing his best yesterday to pour cold water on talk of Irish favouritism. "France are a much better side than that [the game against Scotland]," he said. "We know it and they know it. It's going to be tough."
It could be particularly tough for him, though. Whatever slim hopes he had of slipping unrecognised through the French defence have been scuppered by Guinness's decision to distribute his likeness on 10,000 face masks before the match.
But the good news is that, having put his team's chances at no better than 50-50, he will be relieved to know the bookies are not quite so optimistic, with Paddy Power quoting France as slight favourites.
Despite their long run of victory here, the visitors speak only of revenge. Le Monde yesterday played up the starring role of Brian O'Driscoll in last year's win in Paris by les diables verts. But in a menacingly mixed metaphor, the headline read: "French XV's Irish ballad takes on tune of Revenge Match".
This became tuneful reality in Dublin's Temple Bar when members of the Tain Tournon rugby club struck up a vengeful-sounding French ballad. Part of a group of 250 travelling from the Ardeche, they were in ebullient mood as they dipped their moustaches in the local stout, inspiring a passing Irish woman to remark: "I hope the team are drinking as much!"
