Ireland head coach Adam Griggs admitted his side were the architects of their own downfall as they shipped eight tries in a bruising Six Nations defeat to France.

The visitors were 56-15 winners at Donnybrook and had a bonus-point wrapped up before the break as Ireland were repeatedly punished for turning over the ball and indiscipline.

"We knew it was going to be a challenge and we probably didn't help ourselves," Griggs told RTÉ Sport.

"We compounded a good few errors in that first half, certainly their first two tries came from mistakes on our behalf. We've just got to take the learnings from that and realise when it's on to play.

"When you have momentum then you can play but if you don't, then you've got to make sure you don't play in your own half. We were guilty of that a little bit and a good quality side like France will punish you.

"(Penalties) compounded those errors and when you let them have kicks to the corner as easily as that, they're so strong at set-piece plays.

"That's understanding the game, when it is on to go at rucks and slow it down and when do you just need to set up your defensive line and put pressure on them that way."

The result was a disappointment after the 45-0 whitewash of Wales last week but Griggs is keeping things in perspective following the loss to a semi-pro French outfit.

"Last week was a great performance, it doesn't make you a great team. This week wasn't a great performance but it doesn't make you a bad team.

"We've got take the positive parts from last week and the learnings from this week and build into a performance that shows we're outright the third best team in the competition.

Griggs' team have played just three matches in the last 14 months and have relied on training camps in the absence of domestic club or provincial action.

He is now targeting victory against Italy in next weekend's third-placed play-off to give a better gauge of their progress.

"I think this group will get better the more games we have.

"We have had glimpses of what we can do, even against the good sides. A couple of tries, we have to take the positives.

"We've spoken now as a group that we want to be that third-best team in this competition.

"We can focus on next week and make sure we put on a performance that shows that.

Captain Ciara Griffin insisted Ireland had fought their hardest but said they would now try to focus on "the bigger picture" with the third-placed play-off and summer World Cup qualifiers to come.

"The result didn't go the way we wanted but we'll learn from that.

"It is a disappointed dressing-room but it doesn't finish now.

"We have next weekend and recovery and preparation starts now.

"A lot of things here are fixable. If we reduce those errors it's going to make it easier for us next week."