Sexton drop goal gives Ireland last-gasp victory over France – 6 Nations

Teddy Thomas’ try nine minutes from time had looked set to give the French the win, but after missing a kickable penalty earlier, Sexton held his nerve from distance to grab the win in the 83rd minute.

Conditions had made life difficult for both teams, with Ireland turning to their tight game to squeeze the life out of their opponents and make the most of French indiscipline to control the scoreboard.

But when Thomas received a ball from Antoine Dupont, he put on the afterburners to sprint through from 60 metres out with Anthony Belleau converting to give France the lead for the first time.

Belleau then missed a shot at goal which could have given France a four-point lead, and that proved costly as Sexton broke French hearts at the death.

Jacques Brunel, in his first game in charge, had handed a debut to teenage fly-half Matthieu Jalibert but he was forced off in the first half after injuring his knee while trying to tackle Bundee Aki.

Yet, for an inexperienced French team, they were very much in touch in the first half only for the Irish to take advantage of their indiscipline as they had done a year ago in Dublin.

Ireland made the perfect start with France straying offside in the second minute of the game and allowing Sexton to slot a simple penalty between the posts.

Les Bleus were patient when they got their hands on the ball, but found it difficult to break down the Irish defence.

Instead it was a second Sexton penalty, this time after another offside, that allowed the Irish to stretch the lead to 6-0.

France then lost Jalibert when he got into an awkward angle trying to tackle Aki, with Belleau taking his place.

The French came back, and good work from Maxime Machenaud and Guilhem Guirado at a breakdown earned the French three points from the scrum-half.

However right on the stroke of half-time Sébastien Vahaamahina took Conor Murray out at a ruck which set up an easy three points for Sexton for a 9-3 half-time lead at the break.

As the rain started to come down in the second half, Ireland continued to press, Rémi Lamerat this time the man caught on the wrong side of the ruck.

Still, France were not done, and when they were able to break the Irish shackles, they forced the visitors back, earned a penalty, and Machenaud slotted it from the right to cut the deficit to six points.

Guirado was very effective in defence, racking up the tackles, but after one such tackle he fell on the wrong side but Sexton dragged his effort wide.

That miss looked all the more crucial when France took a quick lineout, put Thomas through a gap and he did the rest.

Belleau converted, but was off-target with a penalty three minutes from time after a dominant French scrum.

And that proved to be the difference in the end, with Sexton splitting the uprights after a dramatic denouement going through 41 phases.