RESULT: FRANCE 43 IRELAND 31
Full-time Ireland are left to rue a woeful first-half performance following an impressive second half that saw them haul the French back to 12 points. Eddie O’Sullivan will be worrying after Brian O’Driscoll picked up a hamstring injury.
80 mins France bring play right back to the Irish line and Ireland are lucky to defend what looked like another certain try for France.
79 mins Penalty to Ireland, taken quickly and they bring play close to the line and receive another penalty.
78 mins Ireland are two metres out again and probing for French gaps. France clear to their own 22.
77 mins O’Driscoll leaves the field in obvious pain, Eoin Reddan enters the fray for the final few minutes.
76 mins O'Connell steals possession for Ireland and they attack again. Horgan is brought down and Ireland knock on.
75 mins Leamy breaks and Ireland drives for the line. France turn over and clear.
74 mins Ireland get a penalty and O'Gara kicks to the corner.
72 mins Ireland have the French on the back foot again as they cross halfway.
69 mins O'Driscoll breaks through and releases Trimble for another try. O'Gara converts France 43 Ireland 31
68 mins O’Driscoll rips the French apart and off-loads to Murphy who drops the pass with the line at his mercy.
67 mins O’Gara takes a heavy hit as he springs for the line, O’Callaghan dives over and O’Gara converts. France 43 Ireland 24
66 mins Ireland have a lineout close to the French line.
65 mins Ireland break for the French line as Laporte’s side seem to have fallen asleep. Scrum to Ireland 2 metres out.
63 mins Ireland have grown in confidence, admittedly only after many French substitutions, and are playing with more belief now.
62 mins Trimble replaces Bowe for Ireland
61 mins Both sides are searching for holes in each other’s defence and eventually Ireland break through and D’Arcy claims a try. O’Gara converts again. France 43 ireland 17
58 mins Laporte send on three more substitutes.
57 mins Tommy Bowe attacks up the left and Ireland get the ball back across the field to set up another attack that results in Ronan O’Gara grabbing a try. he converts the effort. France 43 Ireland 10
55 mins Ireland concede a penalty to the French and a marvellous opportunity is lost.
54 mins Ireland charge back and come to two yards out as Stinger tries to snipe over the line but is held out by France.
53 mins D’Arcy is denied as he attempts to release.
52 mins O’Connell and Wallace combine break through the French 22.
51 mins Ireland concede a penalty as John Hayes infringes in the scrum and Michalak kicks the ball over the Irish line.
50 mins Substitution for Ireland O’Kelly and Corrigan depart for O’Callaghan and Best.
48 mins O’Gara gifts France another try and David martin crosses the line. Ellisalde converts yet again. France 43 Ireland 3
47 mins French substitution Bruno for Ibanez.
45 mins Heymans finishes off a fine French move that Ireland have no answer to. Ellisalde converts again France 36 Ireland 3
44 mins Magne has returned for the second half afte only leaving the field for a blood-substitution.
43 mins Murphy’s clearance fails to find touch and the French come charging back at the Irish.
43 mins Another poor Irish pass allows the French to bring play back into the Irish half.
41 mins Ireland start brightly with a drive into the French half.
40 mins Michalak gets play underway for the second half.
Half-time: Ireland go to the dressing room with little to hope for in the second-half. Sadly the only bonus for Eddie O’Sullivan’s side is that the inspirational Olivier Magne has left the field with an apparent injury.
38 mins Substitution: Martins replaces Magne for France.
37 mins Ireland are driving from their own half with a maul. O’Driscoll brings Ireland to five yards from the French line with a superb kick.
35 mins Murphy gifts France another try with a pathetic pass and Heymans has an easy run in for the try. Ellisalde converts France 29 Ireland 3
34 mins Ireland knock on as Wallace fails to hold as he tries to break through the French line.
33 mins Penalty to Ireland as France cross over in the line out. O’Gara brings play to the French 22.
32 mins A French maul drives for the Irish line from the 22, Ellisalde releases to Michalak as the French toy with Ireland. Ireland are relieved to win a penalty as Magne holds on to the ball. O’Gara clears to halfway with the penalty.
29 mins There seems to be a lack of communication in the Irish side as three players go for the kick off and France have an easy opportunity for three more points. Ellisalde scores. France 22 Ireland 3
28 mins O’Gara finally gets Ireland on the scoreboard France 19 Ireland 3
27 mins Ireland break from their own half and Horgan tries to break through before a poor Murphy pass lets them down. However, the referee awards Ireland a penalty for a French offside.
26 mins Leamy and Stringer get their wires crossed at the back of the scrum and the attack lacks any impetus. The French steal the ball and clear.
25 mins Ireland drive for the French line and get a scrum from two metres.
23 mins Ireland need to get points on the board soon. They now have a scrum deep in the French half.
22 mins The Irish backs combine to break through again. O’Driscoll goes to ground and the attack breaks down.
21 mins Horgan breaks through and is denied by a dubious forward pass decision by the line judge.
20 mins D'Arcy has a try disallowed following a knock on, nothing is going Ireland’s way.
18 mins O’Gara is blocked trying to weak clearance and David Marty breaks away for a third French try. Elissalde converts France 19 Ireland 0
16 mins O’Driscoll tears away and set up the attack in the French half. France turns the ball and Geordan Murphy has to break up the ensuing attack.
15 mins Ireland attack from their own half after stealing the line out.
14 mins O’Gara misses and things are looking very bad for Eddie O’Sullivan’s side.
13 mins Ireland win a penalty close to halfway and O’Gara opts to go for the posts.
12 mins Ireland knock on and France have a scrum in the Irish half.
11 mins Ireland are struggling to break the French defence and there seems to be a lack of ideas from the backs.
8 mins France tear Ireland apart and Magne crosses for Frances second try after woeful Irish defending. Elissalde converts. France 12 Ireland 0
7 mins France clear following scrappy Irish play.
6 mins Ireland search for a gap and the France hold strong but concede a penalty 2 metres out.
5 mins France concede a scrum and Ireland have an attacking opportunity.
4 mins Stringer hits a massive clearance and Ireland get a line out deep in the French half.
3 mins Dominici and Rougerie charge up the Irish line and Rougerie crosses for a try. The conversion attempt is missed. France 5 Ireland 0
2 mins Ireland concede a scrum under massive French pressure.
1 min France knock on near midfield as they seek to dictate and immediately destroy the Irish scrum.
1 mins Ronan O'Gara gets play underway.
IRELAND XV: G Murphy (Leicester); S Horgan (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), G D'Arcy (Leinster), T Bowe (Ulster); R O'Gara (Munster), P Stringer (Munster); M Horan (Munster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Easterby (Llanelli), D Wallace (Munster), D Leamy (Munster).
Replacements: R Best (Ulster), S Best (Ulster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), J O'Connor (Wasps), E Reddan (Wasps), D Humphreys (Ulster), A Trimble (Ulster).
FRANCE XV: Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais); Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont), David Marty (Perpignan), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse); Frederick Michalak (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse); Olivier Magne (London Irish/ENG), Julien Bonnaire (Bourgoin), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse); Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Fabien Pelous (Toulouse, capt); Pieter De Villiers (Stade Francais), Rafael Ibanez (Wasps/ENG), Olivier Milloud (Bourgoin)
Replacements: Sebastien Bruno (Sale/ENG), Olivier Marconnet (Stade Francais), Lionel Nallet (Castres), Remy Martin (Stade Francais), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz), Benjamin Boyet (Bourgoin), Ludovic Valbon (Brive)
