In this Blog
Presentation with an interview, I look back
at the past encounters between Republic of Ireland and France.
The Interview will be as a video link companion, while the Blog
will be a presentation of the events.
The Interviewee is:
Irish Freelance writer, Historian and Broadcaster Mr. John
O’Carroll
Mr. O’Carroll’s contact
info:
Twitter: @JohnOCarroll17
e-mail: johnocarroll0@gmail.com
or on facebook under John
O’Carroll
My contact information:
on twitter @sp1873 and on
facebook under Soccernostalgia.
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:
1930s
The Nations met for the first time in a
friendly in Paris on May 23, 1937. The Republic of Ireland won (2-0), This
would be the only away win for the Republic in the Series.
1950s
The sides met three times during this decade.
On November 16, 1952, in a friendly at Dublin, the first match on Irish soil in
the series, the match ended in a (1-1) tie.
On October 4, 1953, once again at Dublin, in
a World Cup qualifier, France won (5-3), the first away win for the French.
In the return fixture, on November 25, 1953,
at Paris, France won (1-0). The French would qualify to the 1954 World Cup.
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3099bis, September 2, 2005 (October 4, 1953, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 3-France
5) |
Photo from: Football
Association of Ireland, 75 Years, Author Peter Byrne, 1996 (October 4, 1953, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 3-France
5) |
1970s
It would be another two decades before
the sides faced each other again. The sides were in two World Cup qualifying
groups in this decade.
On November 15, 1972, at Dublin, the
Irish defeated France (2-1).
In the return fixture, on May 19, 1973,
at Paris, Republic of Ireland came away with an away (1-1) tie. In the end
neither team qualified for the 1974 World Cup.
The sides faced each other again in the
1978 World Cup qualifiers. On November 17, 1976, at Paris, France defeated the
Republic of Ireland (2-0).
In the return fixture, on March 30, 1977,
at Dublin, Liam Brady scored Ireland’s winner (1-0).
France would qualify for the World Cup
from this group.
Photo From: France
Football, Issue 3099 bis, September 2, 2005 (November 15, 1972, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 2-France
1) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 1390, November 21, 1972 (November 15, 1972, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 2-France
1) |
Photo From: World Soccer, October 1973 (May 19, 1973, World Cup Qualifier, France 1-Republic of Ireland
1) |
Photo From: Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 1, 1977 (November
17, 1976, World Cup Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 1, 1977 (November
17, 1976, World Cup Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo
From: Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 1, 1977 (March 30, 1977, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland
1-France 0) |
Photo
From: Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 1, 1977 (March 30, 1977, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland
1-France 0) |
Photo
From: Mondial, old series, Hors-Serie, Issue 1, 1977 (March 30, 1977, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland
1-France 0) |
1980s
For the third straight time, the sides were in a World Cup qualifying
group.
On October 28, 1980, at Paris, France won (2-0).
In the return fixture at Dublin, on October 14, 1981, Republic of
Ireland defeated France (3-2). This is the last Irish win to date.
In the end, France edged out Ireland to qualify to the 1982 World Cup
along with Belgium.
The sides met in a forgettable scoreless friendly at Dublin on February 7, 1989.
Photo From: Le Livre d'or du Football 1981 (October 28, 1980, World
Cup Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: Mondial, new
series, issue 8, november 1980 (October 28, 1980, World
Cup Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: Onze, Hors
Serie 13, 1982 (October 28, 1980, World
Cup Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: Mondial, new
series, issue 20, November 1981 (October 14, 1981, World
Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 3-France 2) |
Photo From: France
Football, Issue 1854, October 20, 1981 (October 14, 1981, World
Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 3-France 2) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 2236, February 14, 1989 (February 7, 1989, Republic of Ireland 0-France 0) |
2000s
It would be almost two decades before the
sides faced one another again.
The sides were once again in a World Cup
qualifying group. On October 9, 2004, Republic of Ireland came away with a
scoreless tie at St. Denis.
The first time since 1973 that Ireland
had not lost on French soil.
On September 7, 2005, at Dublin, France
won (1-0) with a brilliant Thierry henry strike. It was France’s first away win
since 1953. Once again France qualified to the World Cup (2006), while Ireland
missed out.
The most memorable clash between the
Nations would be at the end of the decade, once again a World Cup place was at
stake.
On November 14, 2009, France came away
with a (1-0) away win at Dublin in the first leg of a World Cup qualifier.
The return fixture, days later, on
November 18, 2009, at St. Denis, would be remembered for the Thierry henry
handball that led to William Gallas’ equalizer in extra time (after Robbie
Keane had leveled the tie with his goal). Franc qualified to the World Cup
under controversial circumstances.
Photo From:
Onze-Mondial,
Issue 190, November 2004 (October 9, 2004, World Cup Qualifier,
France 0-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From:
Onze-Mondial,
Issue 190, November 2004 (October 9, 2004, World Cup Qualifier,
France 0-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3100bis, September 9, 2005 (September 7, 2005, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France
1) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3100bis, September 9, 2005 (September 7, 2005, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France
1) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 201, October 2005 (France squad, September
7, 2005, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of
Ireland 0 -France 1) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3319, November 17, 2009 (November 14, 2009, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France
1) |
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3319, November 17, 2009 (November 14, 2009, World Cup Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France
1) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 251, December 2009 (November 18, 2009, World Cup Qualifier, France 1- Republic of Ireland
1) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 251, December 2009 (November 18, 2009, World Cup Qualifier, France 1- Republic of Ireland
1) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 251, December 2009 (November 18, 2009, World Cup Qualifier, France 1- Republic of Ireland
1) |
2010s
The sides met for the
first time in the Finals of an official Tournament. On Juen 26, 2016, France in
its Euros, hosted the Republic of Ireland in the Second Round at Lyon. France
won (2-1) to eliminate Ireland and advance to the quarterfinals.
The sides met for the
first time since 1989 in a friendly on May 28, 2018, at St. Denis, with France
winning this match (2-0). It is worth nothing that current England
International Declan Rice played for the Republic on that day.
Photo From: France Football, Issue 3661, June 28, 2016 (June 26, 2016, UEFA European Championships, France 2- Republic of Ireland 1) |
Photo From: L’Equipe, No 23317, May 29, 2018 (May 28, 2018, France 2- Republic
of Ireland 0) |
Photo From: L’Equipe, No 23317, May 29, 2018 (May 28, 2018, France 2- Republic
of Ireland 0) |
2020s
The sides were in a Euro
qualifying group for the first time. On March 27, 2023, at Dublin, France once
again came away with a (2-0) win, through a Benjamin Pavard strike.
In the return fixture, on September 7, 2023, at Paris, France won (2-0).
Photo From: L’Equipe, No 25063, March 28, 2023
(March 27, 2023, EC Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France 1) |
Photo From: L’Equipe, No 25063, March 28, 2023
(March 27, 2023, EC Qualifier, Republic of Ireland 0 -France 1) |
Photo From: L’Equipe, No 25226, September 8, 2023
(September 7, 2023, EC Qualifier, France 2-Republic of Ireland 0) |
Conclusion
On balance, France
clearly has the upper hand in the series. The sides have met one another mostly
in World Cup qualifiers, with France edging ahead of the Irish on most
occasions.
Ireland has only won once
on French soil, the very first match in 1937.
France, on the other
hand, has won multiple times at Dublin.
The November 18, 2009,
match is the most memorable because of the sense of injustice, due to the
Thierry Henry handball in the build-up to the equalizer.
Note:
1-Please refer to the
video link at the top of this blog upload for the interview.