THIS IS THE stadium where Johnny Sexton had one of his most famous moments.
Le Drop came to mind once again when Caelan Doris arrived into the pristine press conference room at Stade de France and realised that he hadn’t been in there before.
The room was frantic back in 2018 as journalists tried to get their heads straight after one of the most chaotic rewrites ever.
Anthony Belleau missed a penalty that would have given France a four-point lead with a couple of minutes left in the Six Nations opener. Johnny Sexton’s 22-metre restart was regathered by Iain Henderson, and Ireland launched into a 41-phase passage that lasted five minutes and four seconds, concluding with Sexton’s stunning drop goal.
And Sexton’s name came up in the press conference today, with the French media keen to enquire about the man who will wear Ireland’s number 10 shirt tomorrow night in this epic stadium.
The French writers are well aware of the criticism Prendergast has faced in the early stages of his international career, so Doris looked to address that issue as he gave his out-half a big show of support.
“There’s a great competition amongst the 10s, which is what we need,” said Doris, alluding to Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne.
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“They’re all relatively young and have good heads on them and are driving each other in the right direction, which is great for the group.
“Sam’s been great. Obviously, his defence has caught quite a bit of flak, but I’m in the same club as him in Leinster, and I see day-to-day the work he puts in, and the same here in camp, so that side of his game is improving.
“In terms of his attack, the ceiling is so high for him. He can do things that not many people can do at all, and he’s getting more and more confident at leading the week and being another voice, especially guiding our attack.
“So, yeah, I’ve got a lot of faith in him, and I’m looking forward to seeing him lead us around tomorrow.”
Jacob Stockdale at Stade de France. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The French media have also been pleasantly surprised to see Jacob Stockdale back in the Ireland team for such a big game.
The powerful left wing became a household name across the rugby world back when he was scoring try after try in 2018, so his renaissance at Test level is another blast from the past.
Doris is backing the 29-year-old to make an impact on his first Six Nations appearance since 2021.
“It’s class,” said the Ireland captain. “It’s been a journey for him, really, hasn’t it? He came on to the scene and was playing some unbelievable rugby and then a few years through injuries and whatnot, form, and now he’s back in there.
“He’s been playing very well with Ulster. He’s gotten a couple of opportunities over the last while with Ireland as well. Similar to what I said with Sam, I’m excited to see him show up and see what he’s capable of doing tomorrow.”
While Prendergast will be looking to steer Ireland’s ship, the main man for France is Antoine Dupont.
He has been in strong form for Toulouse since returning from the ACL injury he suffered against Ireland last year, so Doris and co. will have their hands full.
“He’s done me several times,” said Doris. “I can think of one particular incident in 2023 where I feel I have him coming off one side of the breakdown and then he twirls and goes around me and beats three defenders the other side.
“I’ve described him before as one of those little fish you try and touch and they dart away from you, and it’s true. You’ve got to be connected.
“You’ve got to stay on him in multiple people; you can’t kind of make the decision for him by coming out of system and thinking, ‘Oh, here’s the best player in the world, I need to go and get him and prove a point’. You’ve got to stay connected.
“He’s a big threat, he’s the heartbeat to their attack and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
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'I've got a lot of faith in him' - Doris backs Prendergast to shine for Ireland
THIS IS THE stadium where Johnny Sexton had one of his most famous moments.
Le Drop came to mind once again when Caelan Doris arrived into the pristine press conference room at Stade de France and realised that he hadn’t been in there before.
The room was frantic back in 2018 as journalists tried to get their heads straight after one of the most chaotic rewrites ever.
Anthony Belleau missed a penalty that would have given France a four-point lead with a couple of minutes left in the Six Nations opener. Johnny Sexton’s 22-metre restart was regathered by Iain Henderson, and Ireland launched into a 41-phase passage that lasted five minutes and four seconds, concluding with Sexton’s stunning drop goal.
And Sexton’s name came up in the press conference today, with the French media keen to enquire about the man who will wear Ireland’s number 10 shirt tomorrow night in this epic stadium.
The French writers are well aware of the criticism Prendergast has faced in the early stages of his international career, so Doris looked to address that issue as he gave his out-half a big show of support.
“There’s a great competition amongst the 10s, which is what we need,” said Doris, alluding to Jack Crowley and Harry Byrne.
“They’re all relatively young and have good heads on them and are driving each other in the right direction, which is great for the group.
“Sam’s been great. Obviously, his defence has caught quite a bit of flak, but I’m in the same club as him in Leinster, and I see day-to-day the work he puts in, and the same here in camp, so that side of his game is improving.
“In terms of his attack, the ceiling is so high for him. He can do things that not many people can do at all, and he’s getting more and more confident at leading the week and being another voice, especially guiding our attack.
“So, yeah, I’ve got a lot of faith in him, and I’m looking forward to seeing him lead us around tomorrow.”
The French media have also been pleasantly surprised to see Jacob Stockdale back in the Ireland team for such a big game.
The powerful left wing became a household name across the rugby world back when he was scoring try after try in 2018, so his renaissance at Test level is another blast from the past.
Doris is backing the 29-year-old to make an impact on his first Six Nations appearance since 2021.
“It’s class,” said the Ireland captain. “It’s been a journey for him, really, hasn’t it? He came on to the scene and was playing some unbelievable rugby and then a few years through injuries and whatnot, form, and now he’s back in there.
“He’s been playing very well with Ulster. He’s gotten a couple of opportunities over the last while with Ireland as well. Similar to what I said with Sam, I’m excited to see him show up and see what he’s capable of doing tomorrow.”
While Prendergast will be looking to steer Ireland’s ship, the main man for France is Antoine Dupont.
He has been in strong form for Toulouse since returning from the ACL injury he suffered against Ireland last year, so Doris and co. will have their hands full.
“He’s done me several times,” said Doris. “I can think of one particular incident in 2023 where I feel I have him coming off one side of the breakdown and then he twirls and goes around me and beats three defenders the other side.
“I’ve described him before as one of those little fish you try and touch and they dart away from you, and it’s true. You’ve got to be connected.
“You’ve got to stay on him in multiple people; you can’t kind of make the decision for him by coming out of system and thinking, ‘Oh, here’s the best player in the world, I need to go and get him and prove a point’. You’ve got to stay connected.
“He’s a big threat, he’s the heartbeat to their attack and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
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Caelan Doris Six Nations France Ireland Number 10