Euro Teams FRANCE round 17

So Ireland after a sleep in BYE met France in Round 17. A tough match here as the French have some fine players even if they are missing a few good ones. Bessis and Laranzini are pretty good and I have heard of Jerome Rombaut too. France is such a large country that it has to have a strong team.

Board 4 West Deals Both Vul	♠ 9 7 4 ♥ K 10 9 8 7 ♦ A 10 3 ♣ 7 2
♠ A 8 ♥ Q J 5 ♦ K Q 8 7 4 ♣ Q 10 8	N W E S	♠ J 10 6 5 ♥ A 4 ♦ J ♣ A K 6 5 4 3
	♠ K Q 3 2 ♥ 6 3 2 ♦ 9 6 5 2 ♣ J 9

EW 5N; EW 5♣; EW 3♠; EW 4♦; EW 2♥; Par −660

On this hand for some reason France landed in 4 ♠ contract on a 4-2 fit. Maybe they figured it was the last place for making a plus score or something else went wrong.
However it says McGann led the ♥ 6 which he does not own. Does this mean Europe is not using the bridgemate lead checking software for bridgemate. I think it is flawed because sometimes you can find a missing trump Queen by entering it as a lead and if it is not accepted then you know.
Anyway Rombaut will win the Heart and then if he advanced the ♠ J McGann needed to be on the ball to rise with what looks to me like non-intuitive ♠ Q or else 4 ♠ will get home despite the 4-2 fit. Happy days as 4 ♠-1 to go with 5 ♣ was 12 imps

 

Board 5 North Deals N-S Vul	♠ K 9 5 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ Q 10 6 5 4 ♣ 9 5
♠ 10 6 4 3 ♥ K 9 8 5 3 2 ♦ — ♣ 10 7 2	N W E S	♠ A J 2 ♥ — ♦ A K J 3 ♣ K Q J 8 6 3
	♠ Q 8 7 ♥ A Q 10 4 ♦ 9 8 7 2 ♣ A 4

EW 3N; EW 3♠; EW 4♣; EW 2♥; EW 1♦; Par −400

Here 5 ♣ was down on Ace of trumps lead and another and that was 5 imps to France who made partscore in other room.

Board 6 East Deals E-W Vul	♠ K 9 6 4 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ 10 5 3 ♣ J 5
♠ J 3 2 ♥ — ♦ K 8 7 6 4 2 ♣ K Q 3 2	N W E S	♠ A Q ♥ A 8 4 3 ♦ J 9 ♣ A 10 9 6 4
	♠ 10 8 7 5 ♥ Q J 10 9 2 ♦ A Q ♣ 8 7

EW 6♣; EW 5♦; EW 2N; EW 2♠; EW 1♥; Par −1370

For some reason Ireland languished in 3 ♦ making some and lost out to the ♣ fit finding French who declared the comfortable 5 ♣ to win some 10 imps

Board 9 North Deals E-W Vul	♠ K 8 5 4 3 ♥ Q 7 2 ♦ Q J ♣ 10 7 6
♠ J 10 2 ♥ 10 9 6 ♦ K 9 8 6 4 ♣ 8 2	N W E S	♠ 7 6 ♥ A K J 3 ♦ A 10 5 3 ♣ A J 4
	♠ A Q 9 ♥ 8 5 4 ♦ 7 2 ♣ K Q 9 5 3

EW 4♥; EW 5♦; EW 2N; NS 1♠; NS 1♣; Par −600

Somehow France emerged into 3 ♠ by North and this was booked for a couple off but something went wrong on the defence and France made all of 10 tricks. This added to 11 tricks in NT by East in the other room ...3 overtricks .. as it could be held to 2 NT ... anyway it all added up to 9 imps for France .. now leading by 25-18 ..
Ireland got 7 imps back on boards 11 and 12 to leave it 25-25 going into the hump.

Board 13 North Deals Both Vul	♠ Q ♥ K 7 5 ♦ 10 7 6 3 2 ♣ Q 8 6 4
♠ J 10 7 4 ♥ 10 3 ♦ A Q ♣ K 10 5 3 2	N W E S	♠ 8 6 5 2 ♥ Q J 9 6 4 2 ♦ J ♣ A 9
	♠ A K 9 3 ♥ A 8 ♦ K 9 8 5 4 ♣ J 7

NS 3♦; NS 1N; EW 1♥; NS 1♣; Par +110

So France landed in what looks like a doomed 3 NT but after a ♥ lead Bessis obviously used normal technique and ducked the opening lead. Now West John Carroll just has to do his sums. ♥s and ♠s seem well locked up so if the old partner does not have ♣ A or ♣ Q we are goosed.
I am not exactly sure what solution John Carroll came up with but it ended with Bessis taking 9 tricks. Added to pushing the Irish to 4 ♦ down 1 that was 600 + 100 giving 12 imps and the match to France. Ireland got a couple of imps on a late board to keep the scoreboard ticking over on 7.2 VPs ... A brief halt to Irelandrising#