I have to admit that when I first saw the Rugby World Cup fixtures I did not expect us to have to be worrying about beating Tonga in our final game. I have decided that in this blog I will focus a bit less on the rugby and a bit more on the important bits – where we have been going out.

Carrs Irish bar has really become the unofficial VU Clubhouse out in Paris. It has got a fantastic atmosphere and is a great rugby pub. I suspect they have been serving even more Guinness as the Irish fans have drowned their sorrows.

My VU trips have been doing well in there as well. It is great to have a base in the centre of Paris and Carrs has been the perfect venue. The Rugby World Cup is really a big rugby tour for us and it is important that the social aspect is done properly. I put a lot of dedicated research into that side of things. I came across Carrs, which is not far from the Louvre (bit of culture there), when I was in Paris for a Six Nations weekend. I needed to find somewhere to watch the Sunday fixture on the TV and it has been base camp in Paris for me and VU clients ever since.

The other place in Paris which has become like a second home over the last few weeks is a fantastic club called VIP Rooms on the Champs-Elysees. It reminds me of one of my favourite London clubs Chinawhites although it is in France so perhaps a tiny bit more classy. During the tournament we have had some big nights in VIP, it is not hard when you are among the beautiful people of Paris and Bath.

Last weekend Irish legend Paul Wallace kept insisting that I stayed out with him – he was probably trying to forget his team’s performance. Every time I suggested I might turn in he said we had to have another drink. I did not roll out of the club until 6am.

The club is known to entertain notable celebrities including Richard Branson, Robbie Williams and in the last couple of weeks Austin Healey and Matt Dawson (not quite world class celebrities those two). It is always good to catch up with those boys and I expect we will have one or two more drinks in Carrs and VIP before the end of the tournament.

Fingers crossed for the game and one thing is for sure we will remember this world cup for the excellent nights out even if England’s campaign does ultimately end in defeat.

Even today I still can’t shift the huge disappointment from last Friday and the way England failed to compete with South Africa. It is now time to put all that aside, at least for a few hours anyway, and concentrate on Le Crunch.

There have been some big games so far but surely tonight sees the biggest in this year’s tournament. For Ireland it is not quite the last chance salon but defeat tonight would leave them needing a bonus point win against Argentina next week to stand any chance of going through. And even that might mean a date with the All Blacks in Cardiff.

For France it is simple – lose and they are out. Looking ahead to tonight’s game there are some interesting team changes to conjure with. For the Irish the change at scrum half looks bold. Eion Reddan certainly has impressed at Wasps and will be more combative and aggressive in his approach. Talking to Irish legend Mike Gibson earlier today he feels that the French could well be more worried about Reddan than they would have been if Peter Stringer had been selected.

 Can the Irish come up with the big performance tonight? Certainly some of the Irish contingent I have been with today think so. I am here in Paris today with another group of VU rugby fans all licking their lips at the prospect of tonight’s encounter. With us today are Irish rugby legends Paul Wallace and the afore mentioned Mike Gibson. Both guys, although showing a few nerves ahead of the game, firmly believe the Irish will get the win they need.

Paul feels that France are still very much the favourites.  ‘The Irish have not lost yet and I would be incredibly surprised if we did not see a big performance from them tonight. The pressure is all on France. The Irish are the underdogs and that is the way we prefer it.”

Tactically Paul would like to see a shift away from the way Ireland have approached the previous two games. “I think we have been using Brian (O’Driscoll) too much from first phase ball and I think we have been far too flat when we have had second and third phase possession,” he said.

He believes the lineout will be crucial and feels the selection of Sebastian Chabal in the French second row will play into Irish hands. “He is a fantastic player, but I would have picked him the back row. It should mean that with their best lineout jumpers missing it will enable us to dominate the lineout and hopefully starve the French of the ball.”

Mike feels the inspiration for the Irish players could well be found in what the consequences of defeat will mean. Again, as with Paul, he feels the Irish have to be tactically astute, particularly with their kicking game.

He said: “We need Ronan (O’Gara) to have one of his Munster performances where he controls the game and puts his forwards where they want to be, deep in French territory. His kicking needs to be spot on as he needs to be very careful of the pace and power the French back three possess.”

Many thanks to Mike and Paul for their time. I will be there pulling for the guys in green at St Denis tonight. Whatever happens there should be an amazing atmosphere and it will be a fantastic occasion.

France out of the World Cup two weeks into the tournament? Who would have thought that before the first ball was kicked but, if the Irish can produce that big performance, we know is in there and get a foothold in the match it may just be their night.