During and after Ireland's Six Nations defeat to France, there were plenty of misgivings about the physical approach to the game by Les Blues team.
But it's an article on the subject by The Telegraph which has elicited a strong reaction from a section of the French press.
The English paper's Daniel Schofield highlighted how Ireland out-half Jonathan Sexton was "ruthlessly targeted and was the recipient of a late, cynical hit from Yoann Maestri" (who has since received a warning).
In a subsequent piece, Schofield went on to say that, "What is really distasteful is the manner in which France have sought to hurt Sexton. Yoann Maestri should be banned for the rest of the Championship, not for the severity of his body-check on Sexton on Saturday but in its cynical execution well after he had passed the ball with the referee’s attention focused elsewhere."
French rugby blog RugbyRama did not take those words lying down, with writer Fabien Pomies attempting to take the British press to task.
"Once again, the British press remained true to its reputation. When it comes to make up the Anglo-French rivalry, it's never-ending. Not often sympathetic to the France side, they've decided this time to point fingers at the French for their 'treatment' of the Irish out-half on Saturday," he wrote, describing them kings of "French bashing".
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