Eight days after the show rolled into town, the spotlight fixes an unwavering glare on Ireland as their World Cup hopes and dreams are distilled into 80 minutes of all-or-nothing rugby.
All the preparation, the build-up, nerves and excitement comes down to this: one last shot to ensure the home nation contest a semi-final in Belfast.
To do it, Tom Tierney's charges will need to produce, by far, their most complete performance of the tournament to date.
The wins against Australia and Japan were loaded with grit and character but Ireland looked in serious trouble for substantial parts of both games, particularly last Sunday evening when the Sakura 15 surprised everyone with a really dynamic, fluid performance.
Given how the French dealt with the other sides in Pool C, things look ominous.
As Ireland were locked in an arm wrestle with the stubbornly awkward Wallaroos, Samuel Cherouk's slick outfit were pummelling Japan 72-14.
They followed that up with a 48-0 mauling of the Aussies, whose coach Paul Verrell afterwards lamented: "We were outplayed by a better side. They were well drilled and started the match at a high intensity and we weren’t able to match them."
France know they're facing up to and they're not intimidated. Confident noises came out of their camp back in July, Cherouk declaring: "we have shown that we want to be world champions and should not be afraid to say so".
Turning over the hosts is just another step on the road to glory for Les Bleus.
Wings Shannon Izar and Chloe Pelle sparkled against Australia, the former running in for a hat-trick in the space of 25 minutes, while centre Caroline Ladagnous comes back into the starting 15 after putting the feet up for that second pool game - she scored three tries in the opening day thrashing of Japan.
Power and creativity runs through this team.
Hope for the Irish springs from a February triumph in Donnybrook that proved they can pull this off.
They rolled over France in Dublin 13-10, and without Hannah Tyrrell, Sene Naoupu, Alison Miller and Nicole Cronin, who were on Sevens duty. All four start at the Belfield Bowl tonight.
Tierney admitted scrum coach Derek Dowling has done a lot of work with the pack this week and it's been an area Ireland have struggled.
They'll look to bully France, unsettle and cajole them, memories of that Donnybrook success still there, bedded in the psyche. Two visiting players went to the bin that day as France lost their composure on a grey Dublin evening.
It's likely that the rain will fall at the university campus and a dogged war of attrition in poor conditions would be no bad thing for Irish aspirations. They want a battle.
"You're up against teams that are putting their bodies on the line against the home nation."
Nicole Cronin gets the nod at nine after making her first start at 15s level against Japan with Tierney putting his faith in the diminutive Sevens star's ability to light the fuse in possession.
"Larissa [Muldoon] is unlucky to drop to the bench but we've got the luxury of two types of scrum-halves; the quickness of Nicole, the physicality of Larissa," he said. "It's a nice balance to have and a nice combination to have."
Cronin had been talked up as the bolter to take this World Cup by storm and tomorrow night is a huge opportunity for her to show what all the hype is about. This will be a night for heroines.
Tierney has consistently aired his confidence things will click when they need to most.
The struggles, he believes, are natural; borne of the unique pressure being the host nation brings and every other team's desire to spoil the party.
"It's just the way it goes sometimes," he reasoned on Wednesday afternoon. "That's sport. You're up against teams that are putting their bodies on the line against the home nation. It's in the past now.
"We've learned a lot from those two games. We've been on the back foot in those games and we ground out victories."
They've shown heart in abundance to this point but Ireland need more than that tonight.
It's time to seize their destiny.
Ireland (v France): 15 Hannah Tyrrell, 14 Eimear Considine, 13 Jenny Murphy, 12 Sene Naoupu, 11 Alison Miller, 10 Nora Stapleton, 9 Nicole Cronin; 1 Lindsay Peat, 2 Leah Lyons, 3 Ailis Egan, 4 Sophie Spence, 5 Marie-Louise Reilly, 6 Ciara Griffin, 7 Claire Molloy (Capt), 8 Paula Fitzpatrick
Reps: 16 Cliodhna Moloney, 17 Ruth O'Reilly, 18 Ciara O'Connor, 19. Ashleigh Baxter, 20 Heather O'Brien, 21 Larissa Muldoon, 22 Katie Fitzhenry, 23 Louise Galvin
France: 15 Montserrat Amedee, 14 Chloe Pelle, 13 Carolinme Ladagnous, 12 Elodie Poublan, 11 Shannon Izar, 10 Caroline Drounin, 9 Yanna Rivoalen; 1 Annaelle Deshaye, 2 Gaelle Mignot, 3 Julie Duval, 4 Lenaig Corson, 5 Audrey Forlani, 6 Marjorie Mayans, 7 Romane Menager, 8 Safi N'Diaye
Reps: 16 Caroline Thomas, 17 Lise Arricastre, 18 Patrica Carricaburu, 19 Celine Ferer, 20 Julie Annery, 21 Jade Le Pesq, 22 Carla Neisen, 23 Camille Grassineau
Watch Ireland v France live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player (ROI only) from 7pm, listen live on RTÉ 2fm and follow live blogs on RTÉ Sport Online and the News Now app
