French stars have described their feelings after helping their team overcome Ireland in round four of the Guinness Men's Six Nations. Fabien Galthié's men were in imperious form at the Aviva Stadium, scoring five tries to extinguish Ireland's Grand Slam ambitions emphatically.
"We are very proud of the game we played and the spirit we showed this afternoon," said blindside flanker François Cros. "We had a really strong first half, we stuck at it. We were under pressure, but we never gave up. And in the second half, we managed to play a bit more. Moments like this are rare here [in Dublin], so we’re going to make the most of it.
"At the start, we didn’t have much of the ball, and we knew it was going to be tough. We dug in and didn’t crack. Little by little, we managed to get back on top and turn the pressure around. We started making them run, wearing them down. We knew we had a strong bench, and that would make the difference."
French fans would have been forgiven for thinking their hopes of denying Ireland the Slam - and possibly the title - were dashed when captain Antoine Dupont was forced off the field through injury.
"It’s never easy to see a teammate go off, especially Antoine," said the La Rochelle forward. "We’ll wait for the medical results, but at half-time, he was really struggling. It gave us even more motivation. We also wanted to win for him, to make sure everything he gave on the field wasn’t in vain. We’re super proud to give him this big victory today.
"Tonight, we haven’t won anything yet, except the chance to play a final next week. So we’ll enjoy this victory as a group, but we’ll quickly shift our focus to Scotland. Because it would be a shame to waste a match like this."
Fullback Thomas Ramos, who contributed 17 points with the boot as well as several key involvements in tries, expressed his pride in taking back control of their fate in this year's Championship. "Our destiny is in our own hands," remarked Ramos. "We’ve been saying it all week: this was our semi-final. If we wanted to play in the grand final, we had to win. And now we have the chance to play at home [against Scotland], in front of our fans. I hope we realise that and do everything we can to go all the way."
The Toulouse points machine made sure to thank the French fans for their own contribution.
"What’s for sure is that every time we play away, we can feel the support," said Ramos. "And honestly, in the first half, in the second half, having that backing really makes a difference. So thank you, thank you all."
He echoed Cros in emphasising that there is still one more job left to complete if France are to regain the title they last won in 2022. "Right now, the most important thing is to enjoy it, just like the boys are doing. But from tomorrow, from Monday, we’ll need to focus on Scotland," he insisted. "They’re a very dangerous team, and we can’t afford to take them lightly. Get some rest, have a good trip back to Paris, and above all, make sure we prepare well for this match.
"Let’s give ourselves the means to win this tournament."