THE GRAND SLAM dream is dead and the Six Nations title appears to be gone barring a big shock next weekend.
France are now firm favourites to seal the crown by beating Scotland in Paris in the final game of the championship next weekend.
England and Ireland are still mathematically in contention but France have control now.
Fabien Galthié’s men were good value for this five-try bonus-point win in front of their exceptional travelling support in Dublin, combining ferocious ball-carrying from their forwards with stunning back play from the likes of double try-scorer Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
They clinically punished Ireland during sin-bin periods for Joe McCarthy in the first half and wing Calvin Nash – a late call up in place of the injured James Lowe – in the second half, scoring two tries in those 20 minutes.
The French even lost the great Antoine Dupont to a serious knee injury in the first half of a game in which they had a 7/1 bench but they put that blow behind them to sweep past Simon Easterby’s Ireland in the second half.
Ireland will rue their wastefulness in the opening quarter of the game, having dominated territory with zero reward on the scoreboard, but les Bleus deserve huge credit for their powerful and committed defence.
Maxime Lucu celebrates with Thomas Ramos. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland did get in front early in the second half but the advantage was short-lived as the French responded in impressive fashion. This was perhaps the best win of the Galthié era, even accounting for the fact that they won a Grand Slam in 2022.
So it wasn’t to be a happy farewell for Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray in their final home game for Ireland.
Easterby’s men will travel to Rome next weekend aiming to do their part by beating Italy with a bonus-point in the hope that France slip up against Scotland in the final game of the day, but there seems to be little hope of that going on the evidence of today.
Lowe’s injury in the warm-up meant a late change for Ireland as Jamie Osborne moved to the left wing and Nash came in to start on the right. Lowe was added to a list of absentees already including Tadhg Furlong, Mack Hansen, Rónan Kelleher, and Garry Ringrose.
It certainly made life more difficult for Ireland but they’ll still be disappointed to have lost so many collisions, failed to take so many chances, and struggled for the usual levels of composure and accuracy associated with this team.
Ireland’s reign as Six Nations champions isn’t quite over yet but France have landed a massive blow in ensuring that becomes the case next weekend.
Antoine Dupont suffered a serious injury in the first half. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Nash made an impression from the off as he brilliantly won back a contestable kick and sparked what proved to be 15 minutes of Irish pressure and Irish frustration.
The French discipline was poor early on, Dupont twice caught offside, but Ireland couldn’t take advantage.
Captain Doris was held up over the tryline brilliantly by Grég Alldritt and Paul Boudehent in the seventh minute, then Alldritt won a breakdown turnover penalty when Ireland came back into their 22 just two minutes later.
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Doris swiftly won a jackal penalty of his own but Prendergast’s kick at goal from in front and 38 metres out hit the left post.
It briefly appeared Ireland had been stung on the counter as Damian Penaud scooped up a loose ball to send Dupont clear from inside the French half, but the TMO review showed a clear knock-on by Dupont in a tackle on Hugo Keenan just before.
Ireland were soon back on the offensive but they knocked on in the French 22 on their next attack, before les Bleus back row François Cros put a pin in that period of territorial and possession dominance with another breakdown turnover penalty.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey was brilliant for France. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Doris continued to stand up with two more poaches as France suddenly came to life but there was no containing their new-found energy. Irish lock McCarthy was sin-binned for a cynical and obvious drag-back on Thomas Ramos after he had passed as part of a promising counter.
France kicked into the left corner, mauled infield, then swept back into the shortside for Dupont to fire a pass wide for wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey to finish. Ramos couldn’t convert but France were ahead as the game entered its second quarter.
At this stage, the French were in full flow and it appeared that the game might already be slipping away from Ireland.
But losing Dupont to his horrible knee injury when it was caught awkwardly in a breakdown was compounded by McCarthy’s return from the sin bin a minute later, with Ireland managing to get a foothold on the scoreboard after Boudehent made a tackle on the ball. From the right-hand 15-metre line Prendergast slotted the three.
France immediately got three back as Porter was penalised for obstructing Penaud as he chased the restart, but Ireland had the last say of the half as Prendergast landed a three-pointer from the halfway line.
Trailing just 8-6 felt like something of a victory for Ireland after all their wastefulness and that French purple patch before Dupont’s game-ending injury.
Sam Prendergast kicked two penalties in the first half. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland started superbly in the second against the sleepy French, earning a five-metre lineout after a couple of aerial wins and a clever Jamison Gibson-Park kick.
They went to their maul and hooker Sheehan darted over in the right corner before Prendergast nailed the touchline conversion.
Just like that, Ireland were 13-8 to the good.
And yet, the momentum immediately swung back to the French as they belatedly started the second half. They swept onto the attack from a lineout, their powerful forwards generating speed of ball and loosehead Jean-Baptiste Gros bursting through.
His offload found Lucu and the scrum-half’s brilliant offload found Boudehent for a determined finish. Adding to the Irish pain was the fact that Nash was sin-binned for making head-on-head contact with Pierre-Louis Barassi during the build-up.
Gardner also considered a deep clearout by Thibaud Flament on Peter O’Mahony before the Gros break but ruled that O’Mahony had been retreating from the ruck, so stuck with his on-field decision of a try. Ramos converted and France led 15-13.
Dan Sheehan scored early in the second half. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
That was O’Mahony’s last real involvement as he was replaced to a thunderous reception from the home fans for one last time.
But this game was slipping away from Ireland now and France struck again in the blink of an eye as they counter-rucked wide on their right on the halfway line, then swept the ball fluidly to the left where Bielle-Biarrey delicately grubber-kicked around Prendergast and then beat him for pace to ground the ball. It was a stunning counter-attack.
Ramos converted and France were well and truly in the mood, another flowing attack resulting in Ireland infringing in their 22. Ramos landed the penalty and France led 25-13 with 25 minutes to go.
With France’s forward-heavy bench coming into play now, Ireland simply couldn’t stem the tide.
It was La Rochelle back row Oscar Jégou, on as a replacement centre after Pierre-Louis Barassi was hurt in Nash’s tackle, who grabbed their bonus-point try, stretching out to dot down after more heavy-duty carrying in the Irish 22.
It would have been a shock if Ireland didn’t show some grit in the final quarter but their attack struggled to make a dent, even after Easterby sent on Jack Crowley at inside centre to give them two playmakers.
Ryan Baird makes a tackle for Ireland. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Prendergast knocked on in a tackle as Ireland tried to run out of their own 22 and Ramos was soon slotting another penalty to give France even more breathing room.
Ireland kept battling but they saw a five-metre maul effort held up over the French tryline in the 71st minute as les Bleus refused to let up their physical effort.
Cros was sin-binned a few minutes later as the French infringed one time too many near their own line, but that was swiftly followed by Ramos intercepting Prendergast’s pass in his own 22 and sending Penaud free to score down the other end.
Healy did sign off with a consolation try in the closing minutes and Jack Conan added another, but this was a brutal day for Ireland as the French fans continued to belt out La Marseillaise.
Dublin is France’s tonight.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Jack Conan
Conversions: Sam Prendergast [3 from 3]
Penalties: Sam Prendergast [2 from 3]
France scorers:
Tries: Louis Bielle-Biarrey [2], Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jégou, Damian Penaud
Conversions: Thomas Ramos [4 from 5]
Penalties: Thomas Ramos [3 from 3]
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash (yellow card ’45), Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki (Jack Crowley ’56), Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park (Conor Murray ’69); Andrew Porter (Cian Healy ’69), Dan Sheehan (Rob Herring ’69), Finlay Bealham (Thomas Clarkson ’59); Joe McCarthy (yellow card ’20) (James Ryan ’57), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (Ryan Baird ’49), Josh van der Flier (Jack Conan ’49), Caelan Doris (captain) (HIA – Josh van der Flier ’64).
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi (HIA – Oscar Jégou ’46), Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain) (Maxime Lucu ’29); Jean-Baptiste Gros (Cyril Baille ’49), Peato Mauvaka (Julien Marchand ’49), Uini Atonio (Dorian Aldegheri ’49); Thibaud Flament (Hugo Auradou ’75), Mickaël Guillard (Emmanuel Meafou ’49); François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Alldritt (Anthony Jelonch ’49).
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Brilliant Bleus batter Ireland to take control of the Six Nations
Ireland 27
France 42
THE GRAND SLAM dream is dead and the Six Nations title appears to be gone barring a big shock next weekend.
France are now firm favourites to seal the crown by beating Scotland in Paris in the final game of the championship next weekend.
England and Ireland are still mathematically in contention but France have control now.
Fabien Galthié’s men were good value for this five-try bonus-point win in front of their exceptional travelling support in Dublin, combining ferocious ball-carrying from their forwards with stunning back play from the likes of double try-scorer Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
They clinically punished Ireland during sin-bin periods for Joe McCarthy in the first half and wing Calvin Nash – a late call up in place of the injured James Lowe – in the second half, scoring two tries in those 20 minutes.
The French even lost the great Antoine Dupont to a serious knee injury in the first half of a game in which they had a 7/1 bench but they put that blow behind them to sweep past Simon Easterby’s Ireland in the second half.
Ireland will rue their wastefulness in the opening quarter of the game, having dominated territory with zero reward on the scoreboard, but les Bleus deserve huge credit for their powerful and committed defence.
Ireland did get in front early in the second half but the advantage was short-lived as the French responded in impressive fashion. This was perhaps the best win of the Galthié era, even accounting for the fact that they won a Grand Slam in 2022.
So it wasn’t to be a happy farewell for Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy, and Conor Murray in their final home game for Ireland.
Easterby’s men will travel to Rome next weekend aiming to do their part by beating Italy with a bonus-point in the hope that France slip up against Scotland in the final game of the day, but there seems to be little hope of that going on the evidence of today.
Lowe’s injury in the warm-up meant a late change for Ireland as Jamie Osborne moved to the left wing and Nash came in to start on the right. Lowe was added to a list of absentees already including Tadhg Furlong, Mack Hansen, Rónan Kelleher, and Garry Ringrose.
It certainly made life more difficult for Ireland but they’ll still be disappointed to have lost so many collisions, failed to take so many chances, and struggled for the usual levels of composure and accuracy associated with this team.
Ireland’s reign as Six Nations champions isn’t quite over yet but France have landed a massive blow in ensuring that becomes the case next weekend.
Nash made an impression from the off as he brilliantly won back a contestable kick and sparked what proved to be 15 minutes of Irish pressure and Irish frustration.
The French discipline was poor early on, Dupont twice caught offside, but Ireland couldn’t take advantage.
Captain Doris was held up over the tryline brilliantly by Grég Alldritt and Paul Boudehent in the seventh minute, then Alldritt won a breakdown turnover penalty when Ireland came back into their 22 just two minutes later.
Doris swiftly won a jackal penalty of his own but Prendergast’s kick at goal from in front and 38 metres out hit the left post.
It briefly appeared Ireland had been stung on the counter as Damian Penaud scooped up a loose ball to send Dupont clear from inside the French half, but the TMO review showed a clear knock-on by Dupont in a tackle on Hugo Keenan just before.
Ireland were soon back on the offensive but they knocked on in the French 22 on their next attack, before les Bleus back row François Cros put a pin in that period of territorial and possession dominance with another breakdown turnover penalty.
Doris continued to stand up with two more poaches as France suddenly came to life but there was no containing their new-found energy. Irish lock McCarthy was sin-binned for a cynical and obvious drag-back on Thomas Ramos after he had passed as part of a promising counter.
France kicked into the left corner, mauled infield, then swept back into the shortside for Dupont to fire a pass wide for wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey to finish. Ramos couldn’t convert but France were ahead as the game entered its second quarter.
At this stage, the French were in full flow and it appeared that the game might already be slipping away from Ireland.
But losing Dupont to his horrible knee injury when it was caught awkwardly in a breakdown was compounded by McCarthy’s return from the sin bin a minute later, with Ireland managing to get a foothold on the scoreboard after Boudehent made a tackle on the ball. From the right-hand 15-metre line Prendergast slotted the three.
France immediately got three back as Porter was penalised for obstructing Penaud as he chased the restart, but Ireland had the last say of the half as Prendergast landed a three-pointer from the halfway line.
Trailing just 8-6 felt like something of a victory for Ireland after all their wastefulness and that French purple patch before Dupont’s game-ending injury.
Ireland started superbly in the second against the sleepy French, earning a five-metre lineout after a couple of aerial wins and a clever Jamison Gibson-Park kick.
They went to their maul and hooker Sheehan darted over in the right corner before Prendergast nailed the touchline conversion.
Just like that, Ireland were 13-8 to the good.
And yet, the momentum immediately swung back to the French as they belatedly started the second half. They swept onto the attack from a lineout, their powerful forwards generating speed of ball and loosehead Jean-Baptiste Gros bursting through.
His offload found Lucu and the scrum-half’s brilliant offload found Boudehent for a determined finish. Adding to the Irish pain was the fact that Nash was sin-binned for making head-on-head contact with Pierre-Louis Barassi during the build-up.
Gardner also considered a deep clearout by Thibaud Flament on Peter O’Mahony before the Gros break but ruled that O’Mahony had been retreating from the ruck, so stuck with his on-field decision of a try. Ramos converted and France led 15-13.
That was O’Mahony’s last real involvement as he was replaced to a thunderous reception from the home fans for one last time.
But this game was slipping away from Ireland now and France struck again in the blink of an eye as they counter-rucked wide on their right on the halfway line, then swept the ball fluidly to the left where Bielle-Biarrey delicately grubber-kicked around Prendergast and then beat him for pace to ground the ball. It was a stunning counter-attack.
Ramos converted and France were well and truly in the mood, another flowing attack resulting in Ireland infringing in their 22. Ramos landed the penalty and France led 25-13 with 25 minutes to go.
With France’s forward-heavy bench coming into play now, Ireland simply couldn’t stem the tide.
It was La Rochelle back row Oscar Jégou, on as a replacement centre after Pierre-Louis Barassi was hurt in Nash’s tackle, who grabbed their bonus-point try, stretching out to dot down after more heavy-duty carrying in the Irish 22.
It would have been a shock if Ireland didn’t show some grit in the final quarter but their attack struggled to make a dent, even after Easterby sent on Jack Crowley at inside centre to give them two playmakers.
Prendergast knocked on in a tackle as Ireland tried to run out of their own 22 and Ramos was soon slotting another penalty to give France even more breathing room.
Ireland kept battling but they saw a five-metre maul effort held up over the French tryline in the 71st minute as les Bleus refused to let up their physical effort.
Cros was sin-binned a few minutes later as the French infringed one time too many near their own line, but that was swiftly followed by Ramos intercepting Prendergast’s pass in his own 22 and sending Penaud free to score down the other end.
Healy did sign off with a consolation try in the closing minutes and Jack Conan added another, but this was a brutal day for Ireland as the French fans continued to belt out La Marseillaise.
Dublin is France’s tonight.
Ireland scorers:
Tries: Dan Sheehan, Cian Healy, Jack Conan
Conversions: Sam Prendergast [3 from 3]
Penalties: Sam Prendergast [2 from 3]
France scorers:
Tries: Louis Bielle-Biarrey [2], Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jégou, Damian Penaud
Conversions: Thomas Ramos [4 from 5]
Penalties: Thomas Ramos [3 from 3]
IRELAND: Hugo Keenan; Calvin Nash (yellow card ’45), Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki (Jack Crowley ’56), Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park (Conor Murray ’69); Andrew Porter (Cian Healy ’69), Dan Sheehan (Rob Herring ’69), Finlay Bealham (Thomas Clarkson ’59); Joe McCarthy (yellow card ’20) (James Ryan ’57), Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (Ryan Baird ’49), Josh van der Flier (Jack Conan ’49), Caelan Doris (captain) (HIA – Josh van der Flier ’64).
FRANCE: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi (HIA – Oscar Jégou ’46), Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (captain) (Maxime Lucu ’29); Jean-Baptiste Gros (Cyril Baille ’49), Peato Mauvaka (Julien Marchand ’49), Uini Atonio (Dorian Aldegheri ’49); Thibaud Flament (Hugo Auradou ’75), Mickaël Guillard (Emmanuel Meafou ’49); François Cros, Paul Boudehent, Grégory Alldritt (Anthony Jelonch ’49).
Referee: Angus Gardner [Australia]
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France Ireland Report six nations 2025 Trés Bien