We’re nearly there, folks. Just under 45 minutes until kick-off at the Millennium Stadium as Ireland meet France to decide their quarter-final fate.
Win, and it’s Argentina in the last eight. Lose, and it’s the All Blacks. Kick-off is at 4.45 in Cardiff, and we’ll be keeping you right up to date on what will (hopefully) be a third Irish win in a row against France.
Let us know your pre-match predictions and your thoughts during the game. Comment below, join us on Facebook or tweet us: @Rugby_ie.
While New Zealand are the team to avoid, Argentina have been playing some frighteningly good rugby lately, and they certainly don’t look like a traditional Pumas side.
They completed their Pool C campaign with a 64-19 win against Namibia this afternoon in Leicester.
Let’s not be getting ahead of ourselves though, because we’ve 80 huge minutes to come.
That atmosphere is starting to build.
Here are the 23 Irishmen heading into battle with Les Blues.
Devin Toner is the big call for Schmist in the second row, with the in-form Iain Henderson on the bench.
15. Rob Kearney
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Keith Earls
12. Robbie Henshaw
11. Dave Kearney
10. Johnny Sexton
9. Conor Murray
1. Cian Healy
2. Rory Best
3. Mike Ross
4. Devin Toner
5. Paul O’Connell (captain)
6. Peter O’Mahony
7. Sean O’Brien
8. Jamie Heaslip
Replacements:
16. Richardt Strauss
17. Jack McGrath
18. Nathan White
19. Iain Henderson
20. Chris Henry
21. Eoin Reddan
22. Ian Madigan
23. Luke Fitzgerald
And this is the group Phillipe Saint-Andre is sending out today. 10 of this side started the Six Nations meeting in February.
15. Scott Spedding
14. Noa Nakaitaci
13. Mathieu Bastareaud
12. Wesley Fofana
11. Brice Dulin
10. Frederic Michalak
9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde
1. Eddy Ben Arous
2. Guilhem Guirado
3. Rabah Slimani
4. Pascal Pape
5. Yoann Maestri
6. Thierry Dusautoir (captain)
7. Damien Chouly
8. Louis Picamoles
Replacements
16. Benjamin Kayser
17. Vincent Debaty
18. Nicolas Mas
19. Alexandre Flanquart
20. Bernard Le Roux
21. Morgan Parra
22. Remi Tales
23. Alexandre Dumoulin
Less than 10 minutes to go, Ireland back in the changing rooms, led by Mr O’Connell.
Teams in the tunnel. Even the mascot holding hands with Paul O’Connell looks ready to kill.
Four minutes and counting down…
La Marseillaise is over and done with.
Ireland’s Call could be deafening.
0 – And we’re off!
Ireland 0-0 France
1 – Peter O’Mahony goes full-wrecking ball on Tillous-Borde, flinging him to the ground as Ireland win a turnover.
Ireland 0-0 France
2 – France have a penalty, and they kick to the Irish 22.
Ireland 0-0 France
3 – O’Mahony has been like a man possessed so far. He wriggles his way up the lineout, and secures scrum possession for Ireland. Exceptional work.
Ireland 0-0 France
5 – Early indiscipline from Ireland, giving away a second penalty. This one is 40m out on the right. Michalak is having a go for the first points of the game.
Ireland 0-0 France
6 - Missed Penalty
Michalak is well wide with the penalty, and the sides are still level.
Ireland 0-0 France
10 – Cian Healy collapses a scrum, and Scott Spedding will kick at goal from just inside Ireland’s half.
Ireland 0-0 France
11 – Missed Penalty
That was close. Spedding gave it everything and just about had the distance, but his shot bounced back off the post and Ireland clear.
Ireland 0-0 France
12 – And now it’s Sexton’s turn to have a shot at goal. He’s 40m out on the left.
Ireland 3-0 France
12 - Penalty (Sexton)
Straight between the sticks, and we’re up and running in Cardiff.
A sweet strike from Johnny.
14 - Ireland 3-0 France
It’s becoming a penalty-fest in Cardiff. Nigel Owens penalises Ireland again on the halfway line.
Ireland 3-3 France
16 - Penalty (Spedding)
This time Spedding makes no mistake, landing a bomb from the halfway line. Ireland straying on the wrong side of Nigel Owens here.
Ireland 3-3 France
18 – Ireland get another chance to kick at the posts in a good position. Sexton struck the post with his drop goal attempt during the advantage, but Owens brings us back for the penalty, and Sexton summons the kicking tee.
Ireland 6-3 France
19 - Penalty (Sexton)
No mistake from our Johnny, and Ireland are back in front. Nigel Owens’ lungs are getting a good test from all these penalties.
Ireland 6-3 France
21 – Very, very even so far. Ireland gaining good ground from Murray’s box-kicks. Not much ground being given up by the defences, but the penalties are racking up.
This time Peter O’Mahony gets caught for a high tackle. Spedding will kick for the posts again, in an almost identical position to his last one.
Ireland 6-6 France
23 - Penalty (Spedding)
Wow. Another monstrous three-pointer for Scott Spedding. We’re level again in Cardiff.
24 - Ireland 6-6 France
Johnny Sexton takes a huge hit from Louis Picamoles and is receiving treatment.
25 - Ireland 6-6 France
Bad news for Ireland. Sexton has had to come off after that big hit, and Ian Madigan is on.
Ireland 6-6 France
27 – It was quite a big hit from Picamoles, but there was nothing illegal about it.
Madigan is going to have his first kick at goal after Tommy Bowe gets tackled without the ball.
Ireland 9-6 France
28 - Penalty (Madigan)
And he makes no mistake. That’ll settle the nerves nicely for Madigan.
Ireland 9-6 France
30 – The chance of the game.
A stunning pass inside from Robbie Henshaw left Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls two on one with the line at their mercy. Somehow, Earls spilled Bowe’s pass and the chance is lost.
That was huge.
Ireland 9-6 France
The sight that nobody wanted to see; Sexton in tears as he walks off the pitch with Eanna Falvey.
Ireland 9-6 France
37 – Madigan has settled very, very well into this game though. A great kick to start with, some sharp passing, and a cracking touchfinder to put Ireland into French territory.
Ireland 9-6 France
40 – Now Paul O’Connell is down injured as France attack the Irish line. This can’t be happening.
Ireland 9-6 France
Half Time
This doesn’t look good for O’Connell.
O’Connell has now been stretchered off the field.
He looked in serious discomfort on the pitch and was unable to stand up. This could be the last time we see him in green.
No O’Connell. No Sexton.
This could be a defining 40 minutes ahead. Iain Henderson’s time is about to arrive.
A pretty incredible photo of Rory Best being tackled by Bastareaud and Yoann Maestri.
41 – We’re back under way in Cardiff.
The noise hasn’t dropped a beat, despite the Irish injuries.
Here’s the moment Paul O’Connell tried to stand up after going down injured.
And eventually, the Irish captain was stretchered off the pitch.
Ireland 9-6 France
46 – Ireland look fired up for this. Dave Kearney and Keith Earls link up well to make some yards down the left after a great lineout steal from Henderson.
Ireland 9-6 France
47 – More brilliance from O’Mahony at the breakdown, creating a turnover. Madigan nearly has a pass intercepted though, and needs to reel things in a little. He’s playing some very loose rugby.
Ireland have the scrum though, around 40m out on the left, as The Fields of Athenry rings out.
Ireland 9-6 France
49 – Robbie Henshaw with a genius sidestep gets Ireland into the 22, but France scramble back to slow Ireland down.
An attacking scrum just over 5m out. The gaps are starting to form.
Ireland 14-6 France
TRY! (Rob Kearney)
Ireland 14-6 France
50 – Great move from Ireland. Murray finds Henshaw, who plays a ball back inside to Heaslip.
They build the phases and suck in the defence, before Rob Kearney powers over to score.
Ireland 14-6 France
51 - Missed Conversion (Madigan)
The conversion drifts to the left and wide, but this is a fantastic start to the second half from Ireland.
Ireland 14-6 France
54 – We’ve become Welsh. Now Peter O’Mahony is being stretchered off, after falling awkwardly following a Pascal Pape tackle.
He’s been immense at the breakdown in these 54 minutes, Chris Henry is on to replace him.
On a positive note, here’s a great shot of Rob Kearney touching down for the crucial try.
Ireland 14-6 France
57 – Cian Healy’s had a difficult evening, and he’s replaced by Jack McGrath.
France have a penalty though, and they’re going down the line.
Ireland 14-6 France
59 – A huge steal from Sean O’Brien at the breakdown, as France were building pressure.
However, he could be in trouble for next week, after ITV’s footage showed him striking Pascal Pape off the ball in the first half.
Ireland 14-6 France
63 – Luke Fitzgerald the next to come on for Keith Earls in the centre.
Ireland 14-6 France
63 – O’Brien doesn’t release the tackler, and France will kick a penalty to goal from 40m.
Ireland 14-9 France
64 - Penalty (Parra)
Morgan Parra slots it over, and the gap is down to five. It’s getting very anxious out there.
Ireland 14-9 France
65 – Nathan White the latest to come on after a big shift from Mike Ross.
Ireland 14-9 France
67 – Jack McGrath penalised for a high tackle on Morgan Parra, and France kick into the Irish 22. Some big defence needed.
Ireland 14-9 France
69 – Rob Kearney slices a kick in his own 22, and France are attacking with a lineout 25m out.
Ireland 14-9 France
70 – A huge penalty for Ireland. France are caught for crossing in midfield and Ireland get the chance to clear into French territory.
Squeaky bum time now, lads.
Ireland 19-9 France
TRY! (Conor Murray)
Ireland 21-9 France
74 - Conversion (Ian Madigan)
Conor Murray’s surely done it for Ireland now. Rory Best was held up on the line, before some quick think from Murray saw him touch the ball off the base of the posts.
Ireland lead by 12 with just six minutes left.
Ireland 21-9 France
76 – Ian Madigan is having a shot at the posts from a scrum penalty.
He’s around 42m out to the right. Eoin Reddan primed to come on.
Ireland 24-9 France
76 - Penalty (Madigan)
And THAT’S game. Madigan coolly slots it between the sticks and France’s game is run.
Given the injuries before and during the game, this will go down as a very famous win, indeed.
Ireland 24-9 France
79 – Almost time up. Ireland playing out the final minute in French territory.
An incredible 40 minutes of rugby from Ireland. Iain Henderson has reached the stage where he needs a nickname.
FULL TIME!
Ireland 24-9 France
A famous day for Irish rugby, as Ireland blow France out of sight in the second half, setting up a quarter final against Argentina.
Thanks for following the action on what has been one of the great moments in Irish rugby. Ian Madigan is in floods of tears walking the sidelines, and who could blame him?
Have a quick lie down, throw a splash of water on the face, and wolf down the dinner, because the attention now turns to Poland and the Euro 2016 qualifier.
Awesome Argentina put on a show against Namibia
Are we the world champions now? It’s the sporting tweets of the week
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