There has been an unmistakable edge to France vs Ireland in recent years, and that tension followed Ireland off the pitch once again after their defeat in Paris.
Ireland’s discipline has been a hot topic ever since Antoine Dupont’s injury in the first half of last year’s Six Nations clash in Dublin sparked outrage amongst French supporters. French media criticism of Ireland has been persistent ever since, particularly online, where accusations of cynical and deliberate foul play have been levelled at Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter in particular.
Against that backdrop came an uncomfortable moment in the post match press conference when Ireland captain Caelan Doris was faced with a fairly loaded question from a French…