Manager Tom Mohan is relishing the chance to pit his Irish team against three-time winners France in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship tomorrow night in Yerevan (6.00 pm Irish time).
The young Boys in Green came from behind to earn a draw in their opening Group B match on Monday thanks to a peach of a strike from Manchester City midfielder Joe Hodge.
"The game against Norway was very good for our players as many of them had not played since March or April, so playing at such high intensity will stand to them going into the France game," Mohan said on Wednesday.
"To play against a top team like France in the UEFA European Championships is what this is all about. We set out last year with the target of qualifying for this tournament and we achieved that.
"Now, the goal is to embrace this fantastic opportunity and play our football in the way that we know that we can."
Mohan admits that the players showed a lack of focus in the early stages of their clash with the Scandanavians but felt that they showed some improvement as the game wore on.
"The first game against Norway gave us a lot of plus points as it showcased our resilience to fight back from a sloppy early period where we conceded, but also to play some really good football in the second half," Mohan added.
"We created some good chances and Joe Hodge scored a great goal. Joe was one of three Under-17 players to make their Under-19 debut that night and they didn't look out of place against a good team."
Tom Mohan welcomes back three players for crucial game
There could be further debuts against France with Festy Ebosele and Ciaran Brennan both recovered from an illness and seeking a first cap at this age grade while Aston Villa winger Tyreik Wright (pictured above) has returned from suspension.
Mohan was also keen to highlight the hard work being done by the team of coaches and staff with him in Yerevan.
"The aftermath of every game is important, especially when involved in a tournament because there is such a quick turnaround for your next game," said Mohan.
"That is why the expertise of our doctor Andrew Delany, physio Michael Spillane, and masseur Mickey McGlynn has been crucial in helping the players get through their recovery.
"Our analysts, Martin Doyle, Mickey Feeney, and Mark Scanlon, have also done excellent work in this period as we had to Review our own performance as well as prepare for France."
The Irish boss admits that they will be up against an excellent side on Thursday but is confident that his players will be well prepared.
"We went to see France against the Czech Republic and they were very impressive," added Mohan. "They are a good team with a lot of very exciting players, but we are looking forward to coming up against them.
"The players have been incredibly receptive to feedback - as they have been throughout this entire campaign - and we held team & individual meetings with them over the last two days.
"The atmosphere amongst the squad is a positive one and we feel that we can perform even better than we did against Norway.
"Securing the point in our first game was crucial and now we have to build on that.
"The later kick-off time should help as it was 34 degrees when we kicked off against Norway, but we are prepared to tackle any obstacle that comes in our way and we are ready for this next test."
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Brian Maher (St Patrick's Athletic), George McMahon (Burnley)
Defenders: Andy Lyons (Bohemians), Mark McGuinness (Arsenal), Oisin McEntee (Newcastle United), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Jack James (Unattached), Kameron Ledwidge (Southampton), Ciaran Brennan (Sheffield Wednesday)
Midfielders: Joe Hodge (Manchester City), Lee O'Connor (Manchester United), Barry Coffey (Celtic), Niall Morahan (Sligo Rovers), Brandon Kavanagh (Shamrock Rovers), Conor Grant (Sheffield Wednesday)
Forwards: Jonathan Afolabi (Unattached), Ali Reghba (Leicester City), Tyreik Wright (Aston Villa), Matt Everitt (Brighton & Hove Albion), Festy Ebosele (Derby County)
FIXTURES
Thursday, 18 July: Republic of Ireland v France, Banants Stadium, Yerevan, KO 18:00 (Irish Time) - Live on RTÉ2
Sunday, 21 July: Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic, Yerevan Football Academy Stadium, KO 18:00 (Irish Time) - Live on RTÉ2
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