Even the French were standing up for the Boys in Green who ran themselves to a standstill

Sardonic or sympathetic, the chants of France fans in Lyon’s main train station could only raise a smile.

“Stand up for the boys in green,” they sang as we drifted up the escalators towards our TGV back to Paris. The French fans would have to stand up for them because, by the end of Sunday’s  last-16 defeat to the hosts, most of the Republic of Ireland players were struggling to remain upright. They lingered for almost 10 minutes watching the Ireland fans in the green corner of a vast blue stadium sing songs to them in thanks for their efforts in this tournament. Unlike four years ago, an Irish team at a European Championships could stand over their performance, and if that was the main reason they dwelled in front of the supporters, fatigue may also have played a part. Quite simply, they had run themselves to a standstill and having trudged across the turf to the Irish section, a rest was required before making their exit. As they walked back across the pitch a couple of the players, Daryl Murphy and Stephen Ward, sought out family in the stands but the rest made the weary journey to the dressingroom. Most still looked zombified after their showers as they boarded the team bus before a flight back to Versailles. Despite the assurances of Murphy and Shane Long that the four-day turnaround would not be an issue for players with solid Championship pedigree, there is no doubt fatigue played a role in the cataclysmic second half turnaround. Even allowing for the loss of manpower after Shane Duffy’s sending off, the manner in which Ireland were overrun after the break was alarming. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/747194634405830660 Jeff Hendrick, so imperious for his previous three halves of football, seemingly had no answer for France’s rejigged midfield and was lucky not to receive a second yellow for a tired, late tackle on Kingsley Coman. James McCarthy’s first half snarl and aggression was defanged somewhat as Blaise Matuidi and Paul Pogba got on top around the centre of the park. So energetic in the first half, it was shocking to see James McClean power down as the half progressed. A tired pass setting in motion the move that led to France’s second goal. It was something of a surprise the West Brom attacker was still on the field at that stage, having given all he had in the first half he seemed the most likely candidate to be replaced when Jon Walters made his return to action 20 minutes into the second half. Instead it was Murphy, who had turned in his second stellar performance in a row, who was withdrawn. McClean only taken from the fray after Duffy’s red card – sacrificed to get John O’Shea on to the field for what may have been his last appearance for Ireland. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/747070245895024640 But there were tired men all over the field. Darren Randolph’s goal-kick routine grew longer and longer and the whistles of the hostile crowd shriller and shriller as the Irish keeper looked to kill time and give his team-mates a breather. France captain Hugo Lloris and manager Didier Deschamps had spoken about the battle they expected from an Irish side who they trusted to bring spirit, teamwork and cohesion if nothing else. There was all these things and more in a first half that Ireland dominated from the first minute, when Paul Pogba bundled Shane Long over in the box and conceded a penalty. However it all began to unravel in the second half – Coman introducing speed and width in place of N’Golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann pushing closer to Olivier Giroud and scoring two goals in four minutes. Slowly but surely France took control. Blaise Matuidi forcing a good save from Randolph before Griezmann headed home a Bacary Sagna cross. The France full-backs had been well occupied in the first half but, as the Irish players tired, Sagna was able to get forward in support of the attack. They may have said it wouldn’t be a factor but having named the same starting XI as Wednesday night’s intense performance in the enclosed Lille sweatbox, O’Neill’s men were flagging. While France had a week to prepare, the Ireland manager could not run a single full training session between the end of the group stages and the first knockout round. “We definitely got the short straw in that aspect. It was an incredible amount of time that one team had to prepare over another,” said O’Neill, who was quick to clarify he was not griping. “That said France are a fine team and good luck to them in the tournament.” O’Neill gives the impression that he is a less stringent task master than Giovanni Trapattoni when it comes to strength and conditioning. But this was still a group together in camp for a month – it may have been the case that a long season caught up on them finally. For an Irish team who, for an hour against Sweden, 90 minutes against Italy and another 45 in Lyon, played above and beyond themselves, the second half against a motivated, well-supported and supremely talented France proved to be one step beyond. “The players could not have put any more into the game,” said O’Neill. “They had not an ounce left.”