The dream began to go irretrievably sour at about 9.25pm Irish time. A French try - another one, had the previously upbeat Limerick man nearby begging. "No-one's even chasin' the kicks now. . .", roared another. "Imploded", moaned a Kildare man. The 24-hour moratorium on Eddie O Sullivan's head was decidedly at an end, reports Kathy Sheridan from Paris.
Worst of all the exultant French launched into a hair- raising version of the Marseillaise, making our earlier "anthem" and the odd lunges at The Fields of Athenry look humiliatingly ersatz. At the end as the Irish filed out and the French stayed to dance to some stylish French rock, Padraic O'Brien from Limerick slumped in his seat : "All for nothing. . .
They gave it all and got nothing".
As I write Edith Piaf is belting out "Je ne regrette rien". Did we say poignant? It had all started so promisingly. Were we pumped ? Did someone say pumped ? Only the flash of Bertie Ahern in the stand knocked the crowd off their stride. Just briefly. A crowd one man estimated at 65- 35 per cent in favour of the Irish.
Choked with emotion, belting out our excuse for an anthem, the Irish hammered their feet on the metal floor and stormed heaven for luck. This was put up or shut up time. No excuses.
Within a minute and a half, the man beside us - Brian Nolan, former Co Kildare GAA and club rugby player - had showered the lot of us with water, roaring, "'We'll bate them. . . We'll bate them". By contrast, the tone of the nice D4 type behind was gently scolding : "Very negative France, very negative". About 25 minutes in, it's fair to say his language had deteriorated scandalously in relation to the parentage etc of the ref.
After the first argy bargy the D4 man was imploring our lad to "hit the ref . . . Hit the f.....g !" Nearby a massive Irish flag was unfurled: "Tá mé completely as mo bosca". But the signs were ominous.
When O'Gara finally put Irish points on the board near half time, Brian confessed to awe at the discipline of the French pack. Only two penalties conceded in 45 minutes. 12 - 3.
On the up side the trip to France was by no means a wash out. Countless Irish fans discovered a softer side of Parisians they never expected. Tommy Gallagher from Co Meath and his friend Gerry Lynch (currently domiciled in Swaziland)were, sweetly, concerned about the mental health of the host nation if they were booted out at this stage. They needn't have worried.