Sporting miracles create lasting memories, like Ireland’s dramatic 27-25 victory over France, where a young Brian O’Driscoll scored a hat-trick, marking Ireland’s first win in Paris in 28 years. This match was also the final overseas assignment for journalist Frank Keating, who celebrated Ireland’s triumph with a fondness for its storytelling aspect. Keating cherished the humor and camaraderie in rugby, capturing moments with vivid descriptions and characters, like France’s Jean-Pierre Rives. As Ireland seeks another Six Nations title, memories of past matches remind us of the joy and excitement rugby can bring, both on and off the field.
Sporting miracles do happen from time to time, and when they do, the vivid memories linger for many years. Consider the thrilling Six Nations encounters between Ireland and France, and it’s impossible not to be transported back to a quarter of a century ago. Picture baggy cotton jerseys, the Irish as underdogs, and – magnifique! – a young Brian O’Driscoll scoring a hat-trick to secure a 27-25 victory over France.
Not only was this Ireland’s first win in Paris in 28 years, but that unforgettable mid-March weekend stands out for another reason. It marked the final overseas rugby assignment for one of the great chroniclers of the game, Frank Keating of the Guardian. Frank had a deep affection for Ireland and its ever-changing roster of witty rugby personalities, and that night, after we finally found our hotel down a narrow street on the Left Bank, we raised a glass to the most magnificent of green days.
For Frank, the joy of Ireland’s victory was surpassed only by the storytelling allure of sports and all its shimmering potential. “What’s auld Gaelic for ‘Incroyable’?” he began his match report. “This result will leave a sparkling asterisk in emerald neon in history books all through the new century.” And the great “BOD”? “In an era of engineered midfield collisions and relentless body charges by over-muscular half-robots, O’Driscoll shines like the full-beam Fastnet light off the Cork coast.”
Ah, what a man. What an author. And what a master of setting the scene. Consider his depiction of the annual pilgrimage made by French supporters from their sud-ouest heartlands to witness the national team in the capital: “Berets, rough cognac, live cockerels in the luggage rack, La Marseillaise sung in gruff, proud voices …” Or the memorable line he attributed to French forward Jean-Luc Joinel after Les Bleus were denied a grand slam by Scotland at Murrayfield in 1984: “We had thought of everything,” Joinel sighed, “except the possibility of a referee who has only one eye.”
In Frank Keating’s world – and how we long for him – winning was only one aspect of the sporting equation. It also revolved around humor, camaraderie, and discovering joy in moments that could otherwise feel alarmingly serious. His first hero as a first-time observer of Ireland at Twickenham in 1960 was the visiting captain, Tom Kiernan, but he was equally captivated by the collective spirit of the entire team. “He had a blinder, and his teammates dazzled around him in a chaotic blend of jinks, jigs, and creative invention, all while exuding the most intense enthusiasm imaginable.”
It’s no surprise he had a particular fondness for the charismatic France captain Jean-Pierre Rives – “the cascading hair of Pernod yellow …” – who epitomized the “vim and swagger” of Les Bleus at their best. “The essence of rugby,” Rives shared with Keating one day in a Toulouse café, “is, above all, a state of mind, a spirit … the very name of the game is a magical word.”
This brings us nicely to the upcoming encounter on Saturday, a New Testament version of the same age-old narrative. How Frank would have relished the build-up, the tantalizing thrill of it all. Ireland striving for a third consecutive Six Nations title, a feat yet to be accomplished. And France, with the brilliant Antoine Dupont leading the charge, captured as the adventurous sous-chiens. Quoting Rives once more on the subject of monumental international days: “It will be excitement all around, movement and an atmosphere that sends shivers down your spine and makes your hair stand on end. The challenge is maintaining an inner balance amidst the storm.”
However, there are two small obstacles for sporting romantics everywhere. The first is the mathematics involved in this season’s championship run-in. Yes, it would be a wonderful Irish story if they were to clinch the trophy with a week to spare. But how extraordinary could it become if France wins, setting up a classic Super Saturday where everything remains on the line?
The second consideration? Modern Test matches, as illustrated by the recent game at Twickenham, are not always won by the team displaying the most dazzling play. Despite their impressive offloading in Rome, France fielded a 7-1 bench against Italy aimed at overpowering their opponents. They might adopt a similar strategy in Dublin, challenging Ireland at the source, as England did successfully on the opening weekend.
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Regardless, the visitors must also overcome the uneasy memories of their last trip to the Aviva Stadium, in 2023, where they suffered a 32-19 defeat in an electrifying match. France was unable to shake off the determined, focused home side, even with Dupont playing at his best. Remember that moment when Mack Hansen seemed poised to score, and the scrum-half made a mind-boggling tackle to stop him? The French certainly will.
But you never know. Perhaps this will be the match that lives up to the expectations and pulls rugby and sportswriting back from the clutches of the stattos. “For Frank, it was always a joyous endeavor, about lovable people doing beautiful things with the ball on the field and enjoying themselves afterward,” wrote Matthew Engel in his poignant tribute following Keating’s passing in 2013. “When it started becoming serious and joyless, even rugby, especially rugby – the fun drained out of it.”
Twenty-five years on from O’Driscoll’s hat-trick, here’s to a similarly uplifting game in Frank’s honor.
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