It was in the suitably salubrious surroundings of Barack Obama Plaza that Sean O'Brien finally gave us all the reaction we were looking for. What did he think of Pascal Papé and that ludicrous statement submitted ahead of O'Brien disciplinary hearing?
The first thing that must be said is that O'Brien is very much up front with the fact that the punch was entirely the wrong course of action to take at that moment. Papé may have been doing what he does best but O'Brien was wrong to react. That much is clear and being unable to affect the game against Argentina because he effectively lost the head for a moment, obviously took it's toll on O'Brien.
I'd a huge disappointment because I was fit. The other lads weren't, but I was fit and I couldn't play because I'd done something silly.
Having said that however, Papé's response to the incident is certainly something that O'Brien has a problem with and he didn't hold back with his feelings on Papé or the French backroom team.
If the shoe was on the other foot I certainly wouldn't be whinging or crying about it.
But that's the decision they made at the time and I think their coach had a big part to play in it as well with the way he reacted. It shouldn't have happened, I shouldn't have done it. I took everything out of the equation then. But they made a good song and dance about it when they had an opportunity to.
And while O'Brien obviously regrets the punch and the consequences which followed, he nonetheless was adamant that he 'put a statement out' to some of the French players early on, something which may have had an effect as the game wore on.
It's impossible to know what would have happened had O'Brien not reacted that day. It seems unlikely that it laid down such a marker that the French retreated into themselves but at least we know O'Brien is not letting it bother him too much.
