WHEN BRIAN Kerr was coming towards the end as Republic of Ireland manager, the photographers on a trip to Cyprus were caught by the Dubliner trying to get pictures of him walking under an exit sign after a press conference. For the snappers aiming to convey Raymond Domenech’s obvious isolation in Bloemfontein yesterday, there was no need for props.

Standard procedure here is for both the coach and captain of a team to face the media on the day before a game. But Domenech arrived for yesterday’s encounter alone, and the absence of Patrice Evra, though unexplained, immediately sparked speculation he might not feature in tonight’s final group game against South Africa.

As it turns out, however, the Manchester United defender may not be the only one missing come kick-off. The embattled 58-year-old acknowledged it “is a possibility” some players may not want to take any part in the game.

“We will have to take it into account when I compose the team with my staff,” he said. “I will pick the players who are mentally and physically in the best shape to win the game.”

Denying he will essentially select whom he is allowed to by the mutinous players, he insisted: “I am responsible for the team and tomorrow’s game. I have always been in charge of the make-up of the team. That is not in dispute.”

A French federation official, meanwhile, claimed the players are now divided over their stand.

”Some players went to see Domenech in their room. They were crying, saying they were sorry for what happened. They were young (players),” secretary Henri Monteil told La Charente Libre newspaper. “Anyway, the three or four leaders are players who are on the way out, who will never play in a World Cup again. Who are they? (William) Gallas, (Eric) Abidal, maybe (Thierry) Henry, who is friends with (Nicolas) Anelka.”

Domenech, meanwhile, stood by the federation’s decision to send Anelka home for his refusal to apologise for verbally abusing the coach in the dressingroom after being criticised and told he was about to be replaced at half-time in the 2-0 defeat by Mexico.

“The sanction was absolutely justified,” the coach told a packed press conference held in a large tent adjacent to tonight’s stadium. “I fully support the federation’s decision. Nobody can allow himself to behave that way.”

Sunday’s boycott of training by the players who were protesting the decision, however, appeared to destroy any shred of authority Domenech had over the squad. And that it was he who ended up reading a statement by the players condemning the federation for taking a stand in his support did little for his personal dignity.

Still, he insists the players can salvage some pride for themselves and their country by finally playing with conviction and, ideally, beating the hosts by several goals to give themselves some chance of stealing past Uruguay or Mexico into the knock-out stages.

“Has our reputation been tarnished?” he asked rhetorically. “That will depend on the outcome of the match. It is up to the players to realise the magnitude of what they have done. They have to play their hearts out to show what they can do and I think they will be extremely motivated to win the game tomorrow.

“People want performances, not excuses. They have to show they love football and the French team.”

Back in France, the majority of people, press and corporate sponsors appear to have comprehensively fallen out of love with Les Bleus. Though they did return to training yesterday, the players were widely condemned and almost universally ridiculed.

“To have the worst football team at the World Cup was already unbearable,” sneered Le Parisien. “To also have the most stupid is intolerable.”

Sponsors also reacted to Sunday’s farcical scenes with Credit Agricole, fast food chain Quick and Pringles cancelling ad campaigns based around the team or, in the snack food brand’s case, Anelka himself.

Like the hosts, the French need not only to win tonight in Bloemfontein but also for the game in Rustenburg between Mexico and Uruguay to end with a winner. Only then does would goal difference start to come into play.

On the face of it, with the Uruguayans and Mexicans needing a draw, they could opt to stage a variation on the infamous “Anschluss match” between Germany and Austria at the 1982 World Cup where a 1-0 scoreline in favour of the Germans allowed both sides to progress at the expense of Algeria.

A critical factor here, however, is that Group B will provide the opposition for the qualifiers from Group A in the next round, and at present Argentina are first in that group with South Korea lying second. That may be seen by the Mexicans, who would play Maradona’s men as things stand, as an incentive to upset the standings.