WHEN YOU’VE NO skin in the game, it makes sense to plump for the underdog. The local crowd in Bayonne made no bones about their new-found love of Samoa.
Rarely have we heard a player-of-the-match announcement being met with a loud chorus of booing, but that was the case when Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray’s name was called out at Stade Jean Dauger.
Only minutes before, Murray’s Samoan counterpart, Jonathan Taumateine, was replaced to one of the biggest roars of the night. The Bayonne supporters took a particular shine to him when he somehow managed to block down one of Jack Crowley’s conversion attempts.
And in the minutes after Murray’s exit, the racket rose to a new level. The Samoan crowd – as these French people had become – roared their side on in the hope of a huge upset win over the number-one-ranked team in the world. James Ryan rose at a 79th-minute lineout in view of the Irish tryline to quench the flame. There more more boos when the final whistle confirmed Ireland’s win.
Samoa then got a reception fit for World Cup winners as they went on a lap of honour around Jean Dauger, Ireland having already retreated to the changing room with their win but worries for the injured Cian Healy.
Andy Farrell wanted a test. That’s why he brought them to Bayonne when Ireland could have hosted the Samoans or another team to Dublin in their final warm-up game. The two previous clashes against Italy and England had been a little friendly for Farrell’s liking. So he would have welcomed Ireland having to dig in to turn around a 10-7 half-time deficit.
Despite the rain, Jean Dauger was hopping before kick-off. We got a wonderful rendition of ‘La Peña Baiona,’ the bouncing anthem of Aviron Bayonnais that just sticks in your head all day once you’ve heard it. The club mascot, an unhinged horse named Pottoka, got everyone further riled up in the minutes before the action got underway.
There were a fair few green jerseys among the crowd, with many Irish people nipping to the game while on holiday or making a weekend of it in this beautiful, laidback part of France, but the 13,500 sell-out attendance was largely made up of locals keen to see one of the World Cup contenders in action.
They probably weren’t very impressed with what Ireland delivered. Farrell said he was pleased with his team coming through such a tough test to keep their winning streak going. He also said he didn’t think that the looming squad announcement, which takes place at 4.30pm today, had an effect on his players.
But in truth, it was a strange day yesterday. It’s understood that Farrell told his players they were in or out of the World Cup squad in the 24 hours before Ireland took on Samoa. So they’d had the good news or the bad news in the build-up to this Test.
Perhaps it was the latest way of Farrell testing how they handle unusual situations. It certainly was one of those. For most, it must have been weird to play in a game that brought with it the potential for World Cup-ending injury so soon after being told they were going. There were also a couple of Irish players who had been dealt the worst news of being left out and then quickly had to rally themselves to play against a good Samoan team. That’s a big ask.
Of course, the doomiest and gloomiest moment of the night was Cian Healy’s injury at a scrum when the Samoans turned the power up to full blast. The way in which he leaned his head into the Irish physio in despair didn’t bode well. Farrell said a scan back in Dublin will tell all but the initial sense was that it could be a World Cup ender. Here’s hoping he gets the chance he deserves to go to his fourth coupe de monde.
The game itself was chaotic but Ireland enjoyed their week in France, staying right beside the beach in the truly lovely town of Biarritz, which is 20 minutes from Bayonne. They return home this afternoon for a few more days in Dublin before departing to the World Cup for good on Thursday.
While our focus was on Ireland, the story of last night was really that of Samoa. They didn’t win but they did show that the improvements they’ve made in the last few years now leave them in position to do some damage in Pool D of the World Cup, where they’ll face England, Japan, Argentina, and Chile. It’s going to be a ferocious contest in that group.
Seilala Mapusua, the affable Samoan head coach, reminded us that this was the first time they’d faced a Tier 1 nation since the 2019 World Cup. It’s simply wrong that this is true and it’s worrying that the new Nations Championship that’s launching in 2026 will only magnify the issue. Rugby needs a sense check.
Ireland got one of those last night while coming away with another victory. It’s 13 in-a-row now and winning is what matters most in Test rugby. Onwards and upwards.