MIKE ROSS IS often required to give his club or country a solid hours’ effort before retiring to the sidelines to watch the end-game. He will rarely flog himself beyond 70 minutes. Lasting 80 minutes is remarkable [twice in his last 20 caps].
Ross was there from the first to last whistle during Ireland’s last away trip to Paris. He played a full part in his side’s superb start, poor restart and hectic final 20. Victory slipped through Irish hands that afternoon but defeat was repelled by a late fightback. Ross recalled, “We were fairly disappointed. I think the game was there for the taking.
“I remember one of the last phases of the game was a big scrum in the middle of the pitch and about 30m from our posts. [French hooker] William Servat, at the time, was an absolute monster when it came to scrummaging. I think our main focus was ‘Do not give away a penalty, do not give away a penalty’. We got through it okay but were still disappointed. Tommy [Bowe] scored two tries and got us off to a good start but we weren’t able to hold on.”
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France chewed through a slightly smaller Irish lead at the Aviva Stadium last year. Ross, coincidentally [but don't blame him], was on the pitch for the entire 80. Louis Picamoles bulled over from close range and Morgan Parra’s conversion made it 13-13. A jarred Brian O’Driscoll was off the pitch after taking a knock to the head but resumed his place in the backline for the closing stages as both teams let scoring chances slip.
“We should have won that too,” said Ross. “That’s two draws in a row, which is unusual, I believe, in the history of the Six Nations. We haven’t won over there since Drico scored his hat-trick in 2000 so that’s something we want to put right this weekend.”
Mike Ross and his Irish teammates are applauded off the pitch after their away draw with France in 2012. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland are not the only team to have struggled away to France in recent years but, of the top six rugby nations, their record is poor and pronounced. Ross puts it down to the pride French teams have in jealously protecting their home turf. “Their performances go up 20, 30% at home.” Playing in the ‘amphitheatre’ of Stade de France is never easy, says Ross, especially if the home side get on top early doors.
I remember one year I was there with Harlequins against Stade Francais in the European Cup and they had full blown jousting on the sidelines. They had can-can girls as well. That’s probably not going to be the case this time but there has certainly been some memorable games there.”
The Irish pack has arguably been the best of the six countries competing in this championship but France, at home, will prove a stern test. Ross commented, “They’ve a short, squat front row and are strong in that area. I know Thomas Domingo quite well and have played against him a few times over the years. Good lad; I’ll probably have a beer with him after the game but know that, when I’m out there, he’ll try to get into me… get under me, take me up.” Domingo, the Irish tight-head believes, will be accompanied by Nicolas Mas and Racing Métro hooker Dimitri Szarzewski.
The French set-piece, Ross notes, did not go well in Murrayfield as the lineout failed badly and the scrum flattered to deceive. “The scrum has been a bit mixed. Sometimes they will absolutely murder teams and other times they will get disrupted. We’ll be working hard ourselves to make sure that every ball they get will be as unpleasant as possible for their scrum-half.”
He added, “I think [the scrum] is something we’ve worked bloody hard on. Some of our scrummaging sessions, they feel like fitness sessions going into them. There’s a lot of pressure and the new laws have changed it to being hit from a sledge[hammer] to be vice. Out goes the sledge and in comes the vice. It’s a different sort of pressure and you know with the squad we have — with Marty Moore and Jack McGrath — if you are a fraction off they’ll have you.”
Ross will be comforted, ahead of the championship deciding match-up, by the news that “world class” Cian Healy is a likely starter in Paris this weekend. That being said, Ross is confident that McGrath could do a job for the Irish scrum if called upon to start.
The 34-year-old is confident Ireland will give their all in the effort to ‘make our own history’ in Paris. “If we can win a championship,” he added, “there’s not many tougher places to do it than away to France… Let’s not forget, they have three wins going into this game. They have been playing within themselves but still winning.”
'Out goes the sledgehammer, in comes the vice' - Ross ready to put squeeze on France
MIKE ROSS IS often required to give his club or country a solid hours’ effort before retiring to the sidelines to watch the end-game. He will rarely flog himself beyond 70 minutes. Lasting 80 minutes is remarkable [twice in his last 20 caps].
Ross was there from the first to last whistle during Ireland’s last away trip to Paris. He played a full part in his side’s superb start, poor restart and hectic final 20. Victory slipped through Irish hands that afternoon but defeat was repelled by a late fightback. Ross recalled, “We were fairly disappointed. I think the game was there for the taking.
“I remember one of the last phases of the game was a big scrum in the middle of the pitch and about 30m from our posts. [French hooker] William Servat, at the time, was an absolute monster when it came to scrummaging. I think our main focus was ‘Do not give away a penalty, do not give away a penalty’. We got through it okay but were still disappointed. Tommy [Bowe] scored two tries and got us off to a good start but we weren’t able to hold on.”
France chewed through a slightly smaller Irish lead at the Aviva Stadium last year. Ross, coincidentally [but don't blame him], was on the pitch for the entire 80. Louis Picamoles bulled over from close range and Morgan Parra’s conversion made it 13-13. A jarred Brian O’Driscoll was off the pitch after taking a knock to the head but resumed his place in the backline for the closing stages as both teams let scoring chances slip.
“We should have won that too,” said Ross. “That’s two draws in a row, which is unusual, I believe, in the history of the Six Nations. We haven’t won over there since Drico scored his hat-trick in 2000 so that’s something we want to put right this weekend.”
Ireland are not the only team to have struggled away to France in recent years but, of the top six rugby nations, their record is poor and pronounced. Ross puts it down to the pride French teams have in jealously protecting their home turf. “Their performances go up 20, 30% at home.” Playing in the ‘amphitheatre’ of Stade de France is never easy, says Ross, especially if the home side get on top early doors.
The Irish pack has arguably been the best of the six countries competing in this championship but France, at home, will prove a stern test. Ross commented, “They’ve a short, squat front row and are strong in that area. I know Thomas Domingo quite well and have played against him a few times over the years. Good lad; I’ll probably have a beer with him after the game but know that, when I’m out there, he’ll try to get into me… get under me, take me up.” Domingo, the Irish tight-head believes, will be accompanied by Nicolas Mas and Racing Métro hooker Dimitri Szarzewski.
The French set-piece, Ross notes, did not go well in Murrayfield as the lineout failed badly and the scrum flattered to deceive. “The scrum has been a bit mixed. Sometimes they will absolutely murder teams and other times they will get disrupted. We’ll be working hard ourselves to make sure that every ball they get will be as unpleasant as possible for their scrum-half.”
He added, “I think [the scrum] is something we’ve worked bloody hard on. Some of our scrummaging sessions, they feel like fitness sessions going into them. There’s a lot of pressure and the new laws have changed it to being hit from a sledge[hammer] to be vice. Out goes the sledge and in comes the vice. It’s a different sort of pressure and you know with the squad we have — with Marty Moore and Jack McGrath — if you are a fraction off they’ll have you.”
Ross will be comforted, ahead of the championship deciding match-up, by the news that “world class” Cian Healy is a likely starter in Paris this weekend. That being said, Ross is confident that McGrath could do a job for the Irish scrum if called upon to start.
The 34-year-old is confident Ireland will give their all in the effort to ‘make our own history’ in Paris. “If we can win a championship,” he added, “there’s not many tougher places to do it than away to France… Let’s not forget, they have three wins going into this game. They have been playing within themselves but still winning.”
Healy and O’Mahony set for Parisian showdown after coming through training
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6 Nations Six Nations Interview Ireland marty moore Mike Ross Rugby Stade de France France thomas domingo