Paris 2024: Ireland find the right notes in the Stade de France din

If the opening salvo of the Rugby Sevens was anything to go by, Paris 2024 promises to be a brilliantly raucous affair.

While there have been pre-Games reports suggesting that some Parisians have decamped to country escapes ahead of the city's third Olympics - by all accounts that is an annual habit and the excuse of thumbing le nez at an Olympics on the doorstep wouldn’t be needed to seek out a hideaway outside l’Ile de France - those that stayed behind to take in the sporting feast certainly made themselves heard. Aided and abetted in the first few hours, one must add, by an assortment of DJs blasting out what sounded to the sceptical ear like Europop… when in Rome, or Paris to be precise.

The stands at the Stade de France were packed for Wednesday’s opening pool stage fixtures and there were plenty of retro Irish rugby jerseys on show along the concourses and along a couple of pockets in the tribune the tricolour made its presence felt.

The decibels peppered with cries of 'Allez Les Bleus’ would reach fever pitch on both occasions that a France side containing temporary 15s exile Antoine Dupont took to the field.

They did plenty of shouting even if their team didn’t consistently give them as much to shout about on the field, a 12-12 draw with USA deflating the balloon somewhat before they overcame Uruguay 19-12 in the evening match.

Reigning Olympic champions Fiji also earned more than a few ripples of applause for their vibrant and imaginative attack.

Argentina vs Kenya also engendered a level of noise, although not of the welcoming side for the Pumas with unmistakable and persistent boos heard whenever they were in possession and enthusiastic cheers for Kenya - perhaps the controversy sparked by Chelsea and Argentina