Joey Carbery believes the right call was made when he kicked Ireland's final penalty between the posts in the 72nd minute at the Stade de France.
The great debate since Ireland's 30-24 defeat has centred on whether skipper James Ryan made the right call in pointing at the posts rather than instructing Carbery to kick for the corner.
The visitors were six points adrift at the time and while Carbery's smoothly struck penalty went between the posts, the French had the last say with the last penalty to leave six between the sides.
“We had a conversation," said Carbery. "We still had eight minutes left and it brought us within three points - I think it was the right decision at the time.
“Myself or Conor Murray, who was on the pitch as well and has got a big boot, knew that if we got a penalty anywhere within the halfway we could take a shot at it, which would have drawn it up as well.
“The way the game was going it was the right call. I think if I was to do it again, I’d do it the same.
"We knew that if we got into their half to score a try there was still plenty of time or, if we needed to, we could always take the points as well.
"So we felt like there was enough time in the game to still go ahead and win it. And it just brought us closer to within the points."
The result ended Ireland's Grand Slam ambitions but, with two bonus points and a win secured over Wales, they are in second place behind France and still in with a shout of the Six Nations title with three rounds to go.
"The belief in the team is always going to be there," Carbery said. "I think we showed that in the second-half coming back.
“We go out to win every game but I suppose we still have a shot. We just have to go out there and put in a performance against Italy, build on that and go into the next week.
“Right now we are focusing on Italy, taking what we can from the weekend and putting it all into the next game.
“We have still got a chance and the belief is massive within the squad.
"It’s a great learning for us to see when France are trying to impose their power game. What we did in the second half was we sped the game up.
"We moved them around a little bit more. Being able to do that to the bigger packs will benefit us a lot."
The belief, he says, stems from a playing system that allows the players to express themselves - and one that he fits nicely into himself.
"It’s play to the space and I'm getting better at that," Carbery remarked.
"We are all getting better at it so that actually makes my job a whole lot easier, having guys in the forwards who can see the space and play to the space quite well.
"It’s an incredibly satisfying and enjoyable environment, to be in a team like that.”
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*As part of the Tackle Your Feelings campaign, Rugby Players Ireland were joined by Joey Carbery to support the #ImTakingControl campaign which provides people with the tools to ‘Take Control’ of their mental wellbeing using sport psychology and positive psychology principles.
