French soccer manager Raymond Domenech is public enemy number one in Ireland after dismissing the Irish soccer team as second-rated has-beens.

"They are the England Bs,” he told an Irish journalist with a Gallic shrug.

"There won’t be any surprises in the World Cup play-offs," he sniffed. "We know precisely what to expect.”

However, Domenech also admitted that he expects thousands of Irish fans to make the trip to the Stade de France

“We need the French to rush and get tickets so the Irish do not buy them all. That would be a first victory.

“This game will be a real battle, we must support the team of France. Do not let the Irish have more seats than those they will be allocated!" he said.

“We want to face Ireland with 60,000 Frenchmen at the Stade de France.”

Meanwhile, Ireland's hopes of packing the stadium to the rafters were dealt a blow after air fares shot up following Monday's draw for the World Cup play-offs.

Ryanair is charging a whopping €320 ($430) for seats to its airport on the outskirts of Paris.

Maybe if Ryanair had a route to South Africa they'd do their best to ensure an Irish win and cut their prices.