France captain Antoine Dupont hopes the words of wisdom from football legend Thierry Henry will inspire his side to a vital Guinness Six Nations victory over rivals Ireland.
Former France and Arsenal striker Henry visited Fabien Galthie's side ahead of Saturday's decisive fourth-round match at the Aviva Stadium.
The 47-year-old remains a controversial figure in Ireland, having famously denied the Republic of Ireland a chance to play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup when his handball led to William Gallas' goal in a controversial play-off match the year before.
Although the controversial incident was discussed, Dupont noted that he did not go into detail about it.
“There is no connection between his visit and the upcoming game,” the midfielder said of Henry.
“We mainly discussed how to succeed at a high level, how to deal with pressure, especially in away games during important games.
“I think his experience can inspire us this weekend. But we haven't spent much time talking about the arm episode.”
Ireland are unbeaten at the top of the Six Nations table with three wins from three, while second-placed France are looking to take the lead ahead of next weekend's final.
Les Bleus manager Galthie expressed hope for fair refereeing this week, highlighting a controversial goal scored by Irishman James Lowe for his side in their 2023 defeat in Dublin.
Lowe's acrobatic strike into the left corner prompted a lengthy TMO review to see if his foot had touched the ball before he struck it.
France have spoken to Australian referee Angus Gardner ahead of this weekend's crucial match.
Defence coach Sean Edwards said: “The referee always plays an important role in the game, doesn't he?
“But we are confident that he will do well tomorrow. We have had a little chat with him online about some aspects of the game and he agreed with most of our comments.
“We expect him to be
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