France flourish to leave Ireland’s Grand Slam dream in tatters

Guinness Six Nations

Ireland 27-42 France

Ireland’s Grand Slam dreams are over, blown to smithereens by a ruthless and emphatic France, who now look destined to win the Guinness Six Nations title.

Not even the loss of Antoine Dupont on 26 minutes could stop Fabien Galthie’s side, who destroyed Ireland in the third quarter with 24 points in the space of 16 minutes, and eventually sauntered to a 42-27 win.

The France scrum-half was carried from the pitch just over a quarter into the game with what looked like a potentially serious knee injury, and a potentially game-changing moment, particularly with France’s risky 7:1 bench split.

But while Ireland briefly wrested control of the game with a pair of Sam Prendergast penalties and a try just after half-time by Dan Sheehan, the home side had no match for the pace and skill of Louis Bielle-Biarray – who crossed for two tries, as well as the sheer physicality of France’s ball-carriers.

While Ireland lost James Lowe in the warm-up to a back spasm, that single change couldn’t have made up the difference between these sides, which was summed up in the final 10 minutes as Thomas Ramos intercepted a Sam Prendergast pass to play in Damian Penaud for his side’s fifth and final try.

Irish ill-discipline was a big contributing factor. Bielle-Biarrey’s opening score made it 5-0 while Joe McCarthy was in the sin-bin for needlessly dragging Thomas Ramos down off the ball, while his second try, and Oscar Jegou’s, came in the 10 minutes of a Calvin Nash yellow card.

On what should have been an afternoon to remember for Cian Healy, Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray, who played their final home Tests for Ireland, it was one of their heaviest home defeats in memory.

The only consolation, late on, saw Healy dive over and score a try on his final Aviva international, with Jack Conan also crossing the line with the final play of the game.

Ireland now head to Rome in the final round with only the slimmest of chances of retaining their crown, while France know a win against Scotland in Paris will seal the championship.

The late change to the starting team didn’t appear to effect Ireland early on, and just 30 seconds in Nash claimed a brilliant high ball which set Ireland on the attack.

There was pace and energy to Ireland in the opening minutes, and France’s discipline was off, conceding three penalties inside six minutes, which gave Ireland an early charge into the 22, but that attack was repelled, as Doris was held up over the line.

On nine minutes, a more central penalty came Ireland’s way, and Prendergast called for the tee, but his radar was off as the kick from 40 metres came back off the left post.

The hosts were still in control, but another 22 entry soon followed, from which they left empty-handed, as Prendergast threw a poor pass to Bealham, who knocked-on, while there was also a brief scare when Dupont broke clear following a spillage to run in under the posts, only for it to be called back for a knock-on.

France were growing in confidence, and Ireland twice relied on Doris to get them out of trouble with turnovers in and around his own 22.

On 19 minutes, the hosts made it hard for themselves. France countered from an Osborne clearance, and when Bielle-Biarrey sent a chip-and-chase down the line, McCarthy hauled Ramos down by the collar which resulted in an easy yellow card decision for referee Angus Gardner and his TMO to hand out.

France punished that indiscretion immediately, kicking to touch and mauling infield, before Dupont’s darting pass to Bielle-Biarrey allowed his wing coast in and score and make it 5-0, as the conversion from Ramos floated right and wide.

The hosts got through the yellow card period without any further scoreboard damage, while during that period came the moment that drew a collective gasp around the Aviva, as Dupont was carried off the pitch to be replaced by Lucu.

On 33 minutes, Ireland finally got on the board when Francois Cros took Beirne out off the ball, allowing Prendergast cut the score to 5-3, but they handed those points back straight from the restart when Porter was penalised for obstructing the klick-chase; Ramos knocking over his first points to make it 8-3.

Just as it looked liken the first half was petering out, one more penalty came Ireland’s way when the French infringed on the halfway line, and Prendergast held his nerve from 50 metres to make it at two-point game, 8-6, as the sides caught their breath.

Having shaved three points back just before the break, Ireland capitalised further after the restart.

Gibson-Park’s clever grubber forced Ramos to rush a clearance, and from that territory Ireland worked a penalty, which they kicked to the corner, before Sheehan slingshotted himself off the back of a maul to score his side’s first try in the corner.

Prendergast’s conversion was sweetly struck from the right touchline, giving Ireland their first lead at 13-8. From there, the bottom fell out of Ireland’s game.

Once again, they dealt poorly with the restart, and after a series of gainline successes Boudehent burrowed over for his side’s second try, although Ireland had legitimate complaints about Thibaud Flament taking O’Mahony out beyond the ruck. Those complaints were waved away after a TMO check, but that was only half of their troubles, as Nash was yellow-carded for a head contact on Barassi in the build-up.

That try, which Ramos converted, restored the French lead to 15-13, and they struck the decisive blow on 49 minutes with a third try, ripping Ireland’s already stretched backline from one touchline to the other, before Bielle-Biarray sent in the most delicate grubber, beating Prendergast for pace to dive over and extend the visitors’ lead.

Ramos converted, and on 54 minutes he added another penalty to make it 25-13, after an overthrown Irish lineout had sent his side on the attack.

It would soon get worse, as the powerful French forward replacements started to flex their muscles, with Jegou taking advantage of some soft defending around the fringes of a ruck to get the bonus point try just before the hour mark.

Sixteen minutes after Sheehan’s try had given Ireland the lead and seemingly put all of the momentum on their side, they found themselves 32-13 behind.

Another Ramos penalty made it a four-score game with 14 minutes to play, and while Ireland did their best to rally, there was never any chance of a comeback, with Murray held up over the line as he looked to grab a score on his final home Test.

It looked like France would run up a humiliating scoreline when Ramos picked off a Prendergast pass, setting up Penaud for try number five, and his conversion made it 42-13, with six minutes left.

With the game sewn up, Les Bleus eased off in the final minutes, as Healy and Conan went in to score tries, both converted by Prendergast, to make it a 15-point game that arguably flattered the hosts.

Ireland: Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Calvin Nash; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier (for Doris, 64 HIA), Caelan Doris (capt)

Replacements: Rob Herring (for Sheehan, 68), Cian Healy (for Porter, 68), Thomas Clarkson (for Bealham, 61), James Ryan (for McCarthy, 57), Jack Conan (for Van der Flier, 48), Ryan Baird (for O’Mahony, 48), Conor Murray (for Gibson-Park, 68), Jack Crowley (for Aki, 55)

France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Jean-Baptiste Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Mikael Guillard, Thibaud Flament; Francois Cros, Paul Boudehent, Gregory Alldritt.

Replacements: Julien Marchand (for Mauvaka, 48) Cyril Baille (for Gros, 48) Dorian Aldegheri (for Atonio, 48) Emmanuel Meafou (for Guillard, 48) Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou (for Barassi, 46 HIA), Anthony Jelonch (for Alldritt, 48), Maxime Lucu (for Dupont, 26)

Referee: Angus Gardner