RTÉ rugby analyst Stephen Ferris has said that Ireland's performance in Marseille has left their competition "frightened" whilst hitting out at France’s showing as they fell to a 38-17 loss at the Orange Velodrome.
The result was France’s biggest home defeat to Ireland with Andy Farrell’s side running in five tries in an utterly dominant display to open their Six Nations campaign in the most positive of fashions.
"[They] completely played France off the park in Marseille and it felt like they picked up where they’d left off at periods during that Rugby World Cup last year," the Ulster man told RTÉ 2fm’s Game On.
"It’s brilliant to see, really refreshing. Everyone thought there was going to be a bit of a stumble with personnel changes, big Joe McCarthy coming in, Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, I’m sure there were a lot of nerves in the build-up to the week.
"But they went out, they performed, Peter O’Mahony led the team really well. Some of the decisions that were made, especially with ball in hand, were fascinating to watch.
"Massive congratulations and it sends a bit of a fright to the other teams in the championship."
The 35-time capped former Irish flanker was impressed by the ease at which Ireland fell into their rhythm in the post Johnny Sexton world.
"I think it was just the continuity in the multi-phase attack," was his reply when asked for what stood out most.
"We know that they use the pod system of having two or three different options all the time, the players are left with making those decisions or tipping it on.
"I think it was the Tadhg Beirne try where it sort of crumbled, I think Tadhg Furlong tried to throw a pass out and it went to ground. They recycled and got the ball to Hugo Keenan who injected a little bit of pace back into it and I think it was two or three phases later, Tadhg Beirne ran in underneath the sticks unopposed.
"It was just the build-up to that, two or three phases before that there was a little tip-on from Tadhg Furlong to Caelan Doris, just the right decision.
"The speed of the ruck was very good, the quality of the ruck, the ball placement, the finer details on the ground, fighting really hard to give Jamison Gibson-Park that ball on a platter.
"They were just all-round right on it."
Ferris didn’t hold back on the French performance on Friday - stating that Peato Mauvaka "couldn’t hit a barn door" with his line-outs - with the hosts struggling to find a footing in the contest even before Paul Willemse’s red card 32 minutes in.
"Their set-piece was very poor, their attack was pretty much non-existent," he said.
"I think the game was summed up with their maul defence in the last 10 minutes, the way they capitulated and Ireland ran over.
"Ireland ran out with an extremely huge victory and thoroughly deserved.
"France will be licking their wounds, absolutely licking their wounds, after putting in an effort like that."
Watch England v Wales in the Under-20 Six Nations on Friday from 7.05pm on RTÉ Player
Watch England v Wales in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday from 4.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
Follow a live blog on Ireland v Italy in the Guinness Six Nations on Sunday from 2.30pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1
