SOCCER:CAMOUFLAGED IN resignation, hiding all our hope under a bushel, we entered enemy territory yesterday, white flag rippling in the breeze as we approached the security guards at the gates of Clairefontaine.
On pre-match press conference days even clearance from Nicolas Sarkozy wouldn't guarantee you admission to the French squad's base, press cards (ideally not ones that expired eight years ago) must be offered along with passports, on the off chance you're there to cause some mischief.
"Bon," said the fearsome pair of guards, evidently viewing the threat as a bit less than negligible.
Once inside, we wondered if Raymond Domenech felt the same about the Irish challenge: all over, apart from the odd lusty rendition of The Fields of Athenry?
Sitting on a high stool, smiling at his interrogators, in a "you can't hurt me anymore than you already have" kind of way, the French manager was reminded, somewhat cheerfully, by a local reporter that tonight's game could be his last in charge of the national team.
"In knock-out games you can, of course, die, but thank you for reminding me, yes this could be my last game - thank you for the question, I had forgotten about that," he grinned.
What about the Lassana Diarra incident (when the French midfielder, supposedly, told Keith Andrews, in flowery terms, that the Irish were out)? "It's not a problem. Myself and the players are used to these side issues, but they never interfere with the important things. If some tabloids write rubbish about what Lassana was supposed to have said - but never did - what can I do?"
But the Ireland players and Giovanni Trapattoni confirmed what he said? "I am very doubtful that Trapattoni, who was standing near me, heard what Lassana said, so I don't believe that he is a real witness."
What do you expect from Ireland? "Well, I don't know if Ireland are in a good mood now, if they are confident they can beat us, but we know they will play with the same qualities, physical, technical and mental. But it is possible that the second leg will be different to the first: one goal down, the approach of the Irish might change. But it's not for me to say how they will play.
"Most importantly, I am thrilled that we are now so close to the game - because that is the only truth, the game. I am not interested in what has been achieved, only in what must still be achieved - and nothing is yet certain, nothing is yet achieved. And for this game we need to be cool, we need to be patient, we need to be clever and we need to be enthusiastic."
Henry, meanwhile, dismissed reports he and Domenech had a row on the morning of the first leg. "If it was in the Irish or British press the French press should not have taken the story because it just was not true. I played for eight years in England, so I know how that kind of story - an untrue story - can be reported.
"The hardest task is ahead, we know that," he said of the game. "We will go on to the pitch as if it is 0-0, in our minds we have to forget about the 1-0 lead. We will go out to win the game, not to look for a draw. We are not relaxed now, we will be relaxed if we qualify, and if we can do that we might be on the way to having a great tournament.
"We don't expect anything different from the Ireland team, we know the same physical fight will be there. And it's always a positive physical challenge to play the Irish - I mean it as a compliment, it is not a dirty word," he smiled.
