But for now Schmidt and his players can take huge satisfaction from their first World Cup victory over France in four attempts, a feat celebrated by the majority of the 72, 163 at the Millennium Stadium. France and Ireland are desperate to avoid coming second and getting a date with the All Blacks next weekend.
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“It’s not a quarter-final, it’s not the same, but it’s massively important for us”.
Flanker Sean O’Brien, who was inspirational throughout, is at risk of being cited after he was caught on camera punching a French player.
O’Connell banged the turf in anguish and anger as his team-mates left the Millennium Stadium field for the half-time interval, eventually carried from the turf by stretcher.
Schmidt made three changes to his starting XV from the team that battled to a gritty 16-9 win over Italy, having easily beaten Canada (50-5) and Romania (44-10).
“The update I can give you is it doesn’t look great with Paul, it looks like an upper hamstring”, Schmidt said. As we have seen so often in World Cups, their pool form counts for nothing, especially against the All Blacks. “Next week there is a big challenge waiting for us”, he said of the quarter final.
“We are probably going to get Johnny scanned tomorrow and Pete O’Mahony as well”.
“I spoke briefly to Johnny Sexton and he’s already talking about next week”.
He said: “I think more often than not, Keith will be marking up with Wesley Fofana and Wes is a speed agility athlete as well”.
Ireland: R Kearney, Bowe, Earls (Fitzgerald 62), Henshaw, D Kearney, Sexton (Madigan 27), Murray; Healy (McGrath 57), Best, Ross (White 65), Toner, O’Connell (Henderson ht), O’Mahony (Henry 55), O’Brien, Heaslip.
Right on half time Paul O’Connell went down injured after being twisted awkwardly by the French at a ruck clear out.
They will be hoping though that rugby’s officialdom somehow misses O’Brien’s early match mimicking of a professional pugilist.
Toner hinted France may be trying to destabilise Ireland’s main operator Sexton ahead of Sunday’s pivotal World Cup clash.
Disaster then struck for Ireland as Sexton left the field in tears – perhaps with the fear that his World Cup could be over – after a car-crash hit by Louis Picamoles.
He had begun limping after chasing down a kick that had been deflected towards the wing, his own resulting tackle leaving him in a few discomfort.
Worringly for Ireland, Sexton was on the end of two ferocious tackles in the first quarter.
The pressure on Ian Madigan when he came on for Sexton was enormous, but he coped with it brilliantly. Watching the Leinster playmaker can often be a frustrating experience but here he immediately injected energy into Ireland’s attacking play.
The last time that happened, when the All Blacks had again waltzed through a relatively easy pool, they found themselves ill-prepared to handle a fired up French and were knocked out in that first play-off game.
One game irresistible, the next unexplainable, France is the most unpredictable team in world rugby and seems to raise its game against New Zealand.
In many ways it was a similar game to the other Pool decider at Twickenham the day before. Photo: Getty France’s Thierry Dusautoir passes the ball.
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“I’m incredibly proud of the performance”, Schmidt said. They have had an extra 48 hours to prepare for their date with destiny after their good win over Tonga and will be confident they have the muscle and firepower to sink their grand final opponents from the last, for them, glorious, World Cup.
