IRELAND VS FRANCE is less than 24 hours away and rather than stoke the flames of rivalry (like the English press often do) the French media look to be taking the ‘kill them with kindness’ approach.

L’Equipe have a little piece on Simon Zebo talking about his memories of watching Ireland-France games with his family growing up.

At the end of the article the writer moves away from the past and into the present as he gives a great definition of Simon Zebo’s role in the regimented strategy implemented by Joe Schmidt.

‘In a hyper-organised team, Zebo brings speed, creativity and a bit of madness.’

That might be one of the most succinct summations of a player ever written. And the qualities possessed by Zebo would actually be valued a great deal more were he playing for the French side, who regularly reward the audacious over the merely functional.

Guys like Clement Poitrenaud and Maxime Medard straddle the line between ‘creativity and a bit of madness’ just like Zebo.

That was the creativity.

This is the madness.

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