It’s Paris in the springtime, a concept that used to inspire joy in young lovers and fear in visiting rugby teams. But just as French rugby has been having problems lately, spring on the banks of the Seine is not quite its old self so far this year.
The hazy sunshine bathing the French capital yesterday was hazy in part because of a smog that, on Thursday, created the worst air conditions here since 2007. So with no let-up in the warm, windless conditions forecast, the city fathers have decided to make all public transport free from Friday until Sunday to discourage car use.
For Irish rugby fans this is an unexpected boon. Young lovers or not, they are all now free men of Paris, unfettered and alive, for the weekend. Unless they’re asthma sufferers, I suppose.
But the liberation of the transport system did seem to have some effect yesterday, with air pollution levels well down on Thursday. The trend should be helped by a cooler day today. In the meantime a few strollers in central Paris are not taking any chances, wearing face masks a la Beijing.
With the Six Nations decider and St Patrick's weekend coinciding this year, the greening of Paris began early last night with a charity Wild Geese Dinner organised by the Ireland Fund of France.
The Wild Geese were not on the menu: they were just the people attending. The head goose, or guest of honour, was Paris-based Irishman Ronan O’Gara, and the €195 a head or €1,850 for a table was in aid of the Children’s Ark Paediatric Unit at University of Limerick hospital.
Events continue today with a pre-match Enterprise Ireland function at the Irish Embassy where, aptly, the special guest will be retired referee Alain Rolland.
Rolland was at the centre of a diplomatic incident during last month’s Wales-France match when the French captain addressed him as “tu” rather than the more respectful “vous”. No such outrages are expected today’s event at which guests will include the Tánaiste.
After that the evening will be all about rugby as the Irish aim for a rare win in Paris that would make them champions and round off Brian O’Driscoll’s extraordinary career in the best way.
Even the French will get caught up in Drico nostalgia this evening, with the big screens in the Stade de France to show a highlights reel drawn from the great man’s 141 caps.
This is sure to include the hat-trick he scored on his first visit here in 2000 when, as the French sports newspaper L'Equipe reminded readers this week, his opposite number was a man called Cedric Desbrosse. Desbrosse was playing in his second international that day. As it turned out, largely thanks to the superstar opposite, it was also his last.
This poignant statistic will be echoed tomorrow when O’Driscoll’s latest, and final, marker, will also be making his second start for France. But the similarities end there, probably. Gael Fickou has already had several other appearances as substitute.
Ireland will be praying for one more epic performance from the veteran No 13. And while the hope will be that Gaelic rather than Gallic flair triumphs in this Parisian spring, there is one Gael no Irish fan wants to see score.
