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France have been given a helping hand in their preparations for the crunch Six Nations clash with Ireland by a visit from former footballer Thierry Henry.
Henry, one of France’s greatest players, memorably played a huge role in denying the Republic of Ireland a place at the 2010 Fifa World Cup as his handball went unspotted by the officials in the lead-up to William Gallas’s goal.
The defender’s equaliser in the second leg of the play-off tie ensured that France progressed to the tournament in South Africa at their opponents’ expense. The Football Association of Ireland requested that the fixture be replayed, or that their side earned inclusion as a 33rd qualifier, with Henry admitting later that he felt embarrassed by the incident.
“I shouldn’t have done that, but quite honestly it was just out of my control,” he said. “It’s true I regret it and that is why shortly afterwards I went to each Irish player to speak to them. After that we did not celebrate, not even in the dressing rooms.”
The 47-year-old, who led France’s footballers to an Olympic silver medal at Paris 2024 last summer, is now also a prominent pundit after a distinguished playing career at Arsenal and Barcelona particularly.
The former forward was presented with a signed shirt after visiting French camp as Fabien Galthie’s side gear up for a likely Six Nations title decider against Ireland in Dublin.
The hosts are seeking a win that would put them on the verge of a grand slam and an unprecedented third consecutive competition crown.
A visit from a footballer is not a new concept for rugby. There is significant cross-sport pollination at the elite level, with a number of top coaches in rugby and football in regular contact.
England have been visited in camp by Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale during this campaign, while Mason Mount, the Manchester United midfielder, was a guest in their dressing room after the Calcutta Cup win over Scotland.