By Tadhg Peavoy
Rants, raves and missives to:
sportonline@rte.ie
1648 So close to victory, but yet still a defeat. Ireland's performance was so much improved from their dismal showing in Rome against Italy last week; however, this is a game Ireland could have won.
The number of mistakes in the form of knock-ons and penalties conceded was not good enough.
If you make that many mistakes in a match of this quality you will lose. France made so few errors, soaked up Irish attack, waited for mistakes, and took advantage of Irish penalty errors by kicking the points.
Superb game, supreme effort, France go on to challenge England for the Grand Slam. Ireland, well, we will go again.
Thanks for joining me, see y'after.
FULL-TIME: IRELAND 22-25 FRANCE
81 mins Scrum France after some scrappy play in the France 22. Ireland are penalised for illegally scrimmaging. Penalty France, the ball is kicked to touch. Game over as Pearson blows his whistle for the last time. Ireland lose.
79 mins The ball is spun wide to Earls on the left wing, he cuts into the France 10-metrea area where he decided to kick ahead. It looks a bad choice as it is collected by Medard, but he spills it. Heaslip collects and pops to Fitzgerald who sets up the ruck. But off the next phase, with France on the ropes again, Cronin knocks on.
78 mins France still in control. They now go wide to Jauzion at centre and then Clerc outside him. Clerc goes in to contact but off the next phase France spill it forward. Ireland in possession.
77 mins France win the scrum and go up the middle with Clerc. France retain possession with quick pick and goes, grinding out hard yards and batering up the Irish pack. Thierry Dusautoir makes some big yards with a driving run, which Wallace stops.
76 mins France win it back and kick long to Ireland. McFadden is fed the ball out on the wing as Ireland counter attack - he knocks on.
76 mins Best throws over the lineout - awful. On the 22, France on the ropes, massive mistake.
74 mins France illegally twist the scrum and Ireland win a penalty, which O'Gara tries to kick to touch, he doesn't make it, as Imanol Harinordoquy, in an offside position, stops it making touch.
O'Gara kicks for the corner and only makes the 22.
73 mins Reddan is on for O'Leary, Tom Court for Healy.
Jauzion is on for Rougerie.
73 mins The turf is all cut up and responsible for the collapsed scrum.
72 mins Scrum Ireland on their own 22. It collapses and must be reset.
71 mins Chabal feeds Trinh-Duc directly from the base of the scrum. Marconnet and Yachvili pick and go. Thierry Dusautoir goes in to contact, before France go wide to Huget, but the pass to him is poor and he fumbles. That is more or less the first France mistake in the second half.
France decide to go into the centre area where they set up off
70 mins France back in possession, they trundle up the middle with power, but then pass back to Trinh-Duc. He kicks long downfield and Fitzgerald goes up for it. In the air he knocks on and spills it forward.
65 mins Ireland 22-25 France (Heaslip try, O'Gara conversion)
The lineout is too long from France and Ireland steal it and drive to the France line. O'Brien, Wallace and Court pick and go.
It is pick and go all the way as O'Brien hammers away at the line. Then it goes wide to O'Driscoll who is stopped by a huge France tackle.
Once more O'Brien takes Ireland to the line with a superb drive.
Pick and go is the order of the day as Rory Best has a go.
O'Brien is repelled by the France defence as he goes for a fourth time.
Superb retention from Ireland is met by amazing France defence.
Ireland finally go wide to D'Arcy who nearly jinks through the last man, but is held back by his collar.
Next up Ronan O'Gara tries to grubber kick along the ground, it is lacking in power, and blocked by a France leg, but Wallace is there to pick up the loose ball and feed Healsip, he goes over in the corner! The TMO says it's a try and O'Gara takes the conversion. It is from on the right touchline and looks like it is going wide but goes in off the left post!
Game on.
That try came after an amazing 25 phases of play from Ireland.
64 mins France kick possession back to Ireland, where O'Gara kicks way long to France and right to the corner. Vintage O'Gara. Chance Ireland.
62 mins Ireland 15-25 France (Yachvili penalty)
France go to Nallet at number two in the line.
The French pack try to maul it, but it collapses and Best is the the man credited by referee Pearson for doing so. Pearson says penalty and warns O'Driscoll that if penalties at the ruck continue there may be a yellow card shown.
Ronan O'Gara comes on for Sexton.
Yachvili takes the penalty from on the 22 way way out on the right touchline. It's a magnificent kick and sails over.
60 mins Sexton restarts and Imanol Harinordoquy claims it. France run through three phases in the pack and Chabal is driven back, but O'Brien plays the ball on the ground after tackling Chabal. France win a penalty and kicks long to touch deep in Ireland territory. All France now.
59 mins At the scrum Ireland are penalised as Mike Ross stands up. Yachvili will kick for goal from halfway - he misses it, pushing it to the left. Big let off for Ireland.
58 mins Ireland back in possession, but once more after three of four phases of ball, Ireland spill it forward in the tackle. This is getting to the point where France just need to wait for Irish mistakes before launching an attack. If it continues this way France will win and win well. Errors must be eradicated now.
55 min Ireland 15-22 France (Medard try, Yachvili conversion)
Chabel and Yachvili come on for France.
From the scrum France go wide on first phase and Rougerie hits the line with massive pace. He hits Gordon D'Arcy and flatens the centre with ease. Terrible tackle from D'Arcy. Rougerie lines up Fitzgerlad, hits him with the tackle and feeds Medard on his right shoulder. Medard charges clear and over for a try.
Yachvili adds the conversion.
54 mins Imanol Harinordoquy hammers a few yards around the edge of the ruck. At the next ruck France can't get the ball, but France are deemed to be going forward, so France scrum.
53 mins Ireland's lineout is poor and is knocked on by O'Callaghan. France run it back with Aurelien Rougerie leading the attack.
52 mins Ireland win their scrum and go wide left to Earls, but he is pushed into touch. France lineout. They win and Parra goes off the back into Sean O'Brien.
France recycle again and then Parra kicks long to touch.
51 mins Ireland's nemesis Vincent Clerc comes on for Clement Poitrenaud. Clerc has scored seven tries overall in Ireland v France matches - the record number.
50 mins Servat catches the Ireland restart, but at the next phase Pierre knocks on. Ireland snatch it up and Sexton finds Drico who tries to go outside Aurelien Rougerie, but can't find the extra pace necessary.
48 mins Ireland 15-15 France (Parra penalty)
France go out the line off the next scrum.
They make it into Ireland's half with excellent neat interchanges of passes.
Eventually the French setup on halfway as O'Connell tackles Thierry Dusautoir, but POC doesn't release and Pearson blows for a France penalty.
Parra decides to kick for goal from halfway, in front of the posts. Fantastic kick that just has the legs to make it over.
47 mins Parra one handed feeds right to the France side of the scrum and Ireland win the penalty.
Ireland take it quickly and go wide to the left. O'Brien comes charging down the left wing, with three Frenchmen hanging off him, he knocks on under this pressure.
46 mins Best throws to POC. He takes in the air and pops to O'Leary who again sprints around the outside. As he goes into the contact it is knocked on again. Scrum France.
Errors made: Ireland 11-6 France.
45 mins Traille gets attention for knee in the head, but looks okay now. Sexton kicks the penalty long to halfway.
45 mins Ireland win their scrum and pick and go five yards. At the next ruck, Damien Traille lies all over Heaslip and concedes a penalty for doing so.
42 mins Pierre and Servat pick and go, before Pars goes to Trinh-Duc, who feeds Traille on the outside.
Off the next phase Mas and Bonnaire drive forward, before Parra passes back to Trinh-Duc in the pocket, he goes for the drop goal, which is poor, and half blocked down. But the ball almost lands in a France hand off the blockdown. Eventually it is knocked on by a France hand.
41 mins POC claims it and Sexton boots it downfield to Medard. Drico is up on him and makes the hit. Trinh-Duc hammers it back to Ireland where Fitzgeland manages to keep it in before kicking long downfield, but he kicks it out on the full!
Lineout back for France. They win it an go for a runner ball outside Trinh-Duc.
41 mins Traille kicks off for France.
1554 France are put on the pitch waiting for the Ireland boys.
1549 George Hook has just made a very good comment, stating France are playing with large spaces between all their backline players.
This allows them to spin wide to both wingers off first-phase ball. This is oh so hard to defend against and also very like French rugby of old, we didn't see much of that in the days when Bernard Laporte was manager. Great to watch too.
1548 Alan Clarke from kildare listening to the match on line in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam...sounds good guys
1547 Great to have few here in Cambodia
Dara ohuiginn. 10 3 .... go go drico
1546 That was a superb half of rugby, marred only by several unforced errors from Ireland. This game can be won, folks.
HALF-TIME: IRELAND 15-12 FRANCE
40 mins Ireland win the restart and control a lovely maul. It then goes wide to Drico and then to Earls who bangs a kick downfield to Clement Poitrenaud.
Ireland regain possession and spin it wide where Mike Ross stands in the line. It comes to naught as Ireland lose it and France clear to touch. Half over. So far, so good.
35 mins Ireland 15-12 France (O'Leary try)
Ireland lineout: it is lost in the air by O'Callaghan. He knocks on in the air.
France go through two phases before setting up a ruck, where they hold on on the ground.
Penalty Ireland. Fitzgerald takes it as Sexton has taken a knock. It's a great kick into the 22.
DOC takes it ever so well and pops to O'Leary on the loop. He bursts into the the France 22 with venom.
Ireland recycle to the line, before Drico kicks and goes to the posts. He is held just short. Ireland have a one-man overlap, but Sexton deciedes not to use it!
However, Sexton goes to ground and O'Leary picks and goes from that. A metre out he forces his way over.
He falls just short of the line, but his momentum drags him over the line. It foes to the TMO, who says TRY!
Sexton pushes the conversion wide to the right of the posts.
34 mins Scrum France, Parra to Trinh-Duc. A ruck is set up on the right wing, where Pierre decides to pick and go, but France are called offside at the ruck and Sexton kicks the penalty to halfway.
33 mins Off the lineout Ireland kick long, before it is returned by air to Fitzgerald. He goes on feet at the French, but knocks on in the tackle - again.
32 mins Ireland win the lineout, before at the next ruck Pierre comes in the side and Ireladn win a penalty. Ireland kick to touch.
30 mins France win that scrum and batter their way forward with the pack. Parra digs out the ball and passes to Trinh-Duc who spins it wide to Clement Poitrenaud on the flank, he chips over Fitzgerald and chases on to it, thankfully for Ireland the ball bounces into touch. Certain try for France if it had not.
29 mins Sexton restarts with a short one which Pierre knocks backwards. Parrs box kicks forward and once more Ireland knock on. This time Fitzgerald is the offender as he takes his eye off it when jumping in the air. Scrum France.
27 mins Ireland 10-12 France (Parra penalty)
France take the scrum back and proceed to go through the phases and grind out hard yards. On halfway Donncha O'Callaghan makes a big tackle but then fails to roll away. Pearson says it's a penalty France.
Parra to kick again, this time from outside the 10-metre line straight in front of the posts. No mistake. France into the lead for the first time.
25 mins France lose the ball on their next attack and O'Leary spins it wide to Fitzgerald who bursts in through the centres and is almost away from the France defence. A last minute tackle stops him breaking the French line on halfway. Ireland recycle and O'Leary box-kicks. He overcooks and puts it straight into touch! Vey poor.
24 mins Good Ireland scrum and they move into midfield with some quick passing, O'Connell then picks and goes but knocks on as he goes into the tackle. Four knock-ons in 24 minutes.
23 mins Sexton restarts long. Tring-Duc hammers it back, but Ireland can't claim it and France recycle and go wide to Huget who is struck back in the tackle by Heaslip. Massive tackle, Huget knocks on and Ireland get the scrum.
21 mins Ireland 10-9 France (Parra penalty)
France spin it wide on the left from that kick. Medard cuts off his wing and Ireland go over the top at the ensuing ruck. The ref blows for the penalty.
Parra to kick from wide left outside the 22. He gets it.
20 mins The restart goes out off McFadden who was chasing it. France win the lineout and spin wide to Huget on the right wing. Ireland overturn it, but decide to boxkick through O'Leary.
18 mins Ireland 10-6 France (Parra penalty)
McFadden scampers back and grabs the poor pass, but is swamped by France attackers and concedes a penalty for holding on. Parrs kicks for goal from wide on the left - no mistake.
18 mins Ireland decide to go wide instantly but Sexton delivers a woeful pass to McFadden, it is passed to the winger's ankle. Three unforced errors from the Ireland backs so far.
16 mins Traille restarts and this time it is good. Ireland set up and Sexton clears long to Medard. He darts inside and is tackled to the ground.
France go wide through Mas, before passing first phase across the backline where Clement Poitrenaud hits the line. But Ireland match the attack with superb defence, before Healy steals the ball in the ruck.
14 mins Ireland 10-3 France (Sexton penalty)
Scrum to France, but they are penalised this time and Ireland are awarded a penalty!
Sexton goes for goal just outside the 10-metre line, wide on the right wing. It is a sublime kick and Ireland go 10-3 up.
13 mins Sexton kicks to Pierre, it is controlled and kicked long to Ireland. Heaslip catches and charges back and sets up. Ireland go wide fast and McFadden bursts on to it on the right wing in the France half - but he knocks on!
11 mins Ireland 7-3 France (Parra penalty)
France batter away and can't make any ground, but they keep at it and David Wallace infringes at the breakdown.
Parra will kick the penalty at goal from just outside the 22 on the right of the posts. It's a touch angle, and it looks like it is going to be sliced but at the last minute it curls in.
9 mins Servat throws to Pierre. It is well set up and protected.
France go through the phases with several pick and drives an denter the 22. They spin it out the backline and go wide left to Poitrenaud who is hit back in the tackle.
8 mins From the scrum it goes to Drico, who has O'Leary looping around his outside, it's an easy catch, but O'Leary drop it forward. Scrum to France. Mike Ross stands up in the scrum and France kick the penalty to the corner.
7 mins Traille kicks off and fails to make the 10 metre line! Schoolboy error from the veteran! Scrum on halfway for Ireland.
5 mins Ireland 7-0 France (McFadden try, Sexton conversion)
Poitrenaud knocks on as France pass it out the line in their own 22. He should have kicked and cleared his lines. Ireland seize on the loose ball and set up a ruck five metres out. After two recycles, McFadden comes across from his wing, picks and dives for the line! Try.
Sexton adds the extras from inside the 22, just to the right of the posts.
2 mins Ireland batter at the France 22. Sexton almost gets behind the defence.
After many many phases Gordon D'Arcy takes an outside line and pops to Luke Fitzgerland coming in off the wing, he races clear and makes the corner to touchdown! But D'Arcy's pass is ruled to be forward! Amazing start from Ireland. Scrum France.
1 min Pierre takes the kick-off, but is puhsed into touch. Ireland win their lineout with O'Connell.
O'Callaghan drives off the ruck followed by a David Wallace carry.
The ball goes wide to Sexton who dummies outside and tries to send McFadden free down the wing, he is closed out.
1 mins Sexton kicks to France to start the match.
1502 Dave Pearson will ref the match today.
1501 No late changes to either side as we prepare for lift off.
1500 Diarmaid Lane in Tokyo, Japan keeping updated on the big game.. Come on the men in green!!
1500 In Saudi now and thanks to the French(TV5) I'm able to watch the match, whoopeee
Donal
1500 The lads look well focused for this. Heaslip and O'Leary are in the team and are starting.
1500 I'd love to see Bono doing the anthem, Superbowl style. Or maybe the Boomtown Rats, shake things up a little!
1459 Following Amhrán na bhFiann it's the dubious Ireland's Call:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjMrPgk1eU8
1458 Now it's time for a bit of this beauty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aip-a3qEJ2s&feature=fvst
1457 La Marseillaise is played out in Dublin 4. Class anthem.
Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1q9Ntcr5g
1456 Brendan Curtin (Limerick) in a very hot Rajahmundry India eagerly waiting for the kick-off.
1455 A minute's silence is being observed for those who lost their lives in the Cork plane crash earlier this week.
1454 President of Ireland Mary McAleese is doing the meet and greets. G'wan Maro! Lovely coat she is sporting today!
1451 Ronan Goggins has kindly pointed out: Something you should correct in your stats: Ireland didn't beat France in 2004... they beat us in Paris the first game before we went on to win the triple crown. (so that's 3 times we've won since 2000).
Ronan in Odessa!
My error Ronan, I meant to say 2003, when we won 15-12 in Lansdowne Road. My bad! Cheers for spotting it! So we do still have the four wins in the last 13.
1447 There are some Irish lads out on the turf bashing drums and trying to get the crowd up for it. They are wearing kilts too. It's a rare thing the male Irish kilt, can't see it catching on really. Unless Rob Kearney sports one in Krystal nightclub. That should boost its credibility.
1444 Andy McGuire: In Thailand following with bated breath...COME ON IRELANNNNND!!!
1443 Former France international Thomas Castaignède is in the Aviva and sporting a rather fetching Guinness jacket. I reckon the St James's Gate mafia are filling the lines of his jacket with some euro in order to get some extra publicity!
1441 The Aviva is filling up nicely and the cavernous spaces that were in evidence at the November internationals will hopfully he filled up with bums on seats!
1439 El Duce of the RTÉ Sport department, Ryle Nugent, has just gone through the teams and O'Leary and Heaslip are both included, so all good on that front.
1438 Get your predictions in or anything else pre-watershed that you feel people need to hear!
1437 Shane Bradley: I'm in the Defence Forces working with the UN up on the Golan Heights on the border between Israel and Syria...no TV and no radio here!!! So its great to be able to read the match on line....keep up the good work!!! Lets hope we have a good result to make my evening!!
Happy days Shane. Will do my best for you!
1430 The late team news is that Tomas O'Leary may not be fit to start the match. In that case, either Eoin Reddan or Peter Stringer will step in at number nine.
There are also unconfirmed rumours that Jamie Heaslip may not be fully fit.
We'll bring you updates on that if they come in.
1417 For those of you lucky enough to be able to watch the coverage on TV, it has just started.
For those who can't watch the TV, there will be radio coverage with Michael Corcoran commentary. Click the link above to get access to that.
For the rest of you, you're stuck with me I'm sorry to say!
1404 Of course Ireland have been spearheaded by Brian O'Driscoll since 2000, and his hat-trick in Paris that same year secured the victory Ireland so craved: take a wee trip down memory lane with this footage, with RTÉ's Colm Murray reporting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR7Mq4fEg6M
1345 Stat attack: Ireland have played France 86 times, winning on 29 occasions, losing 52 and drawing five. Gulp! No time like the present to start pulling back a few wins.
An even more damning set of statistics is that Ireland have played France 13 times since the birth of the RBS 6 Nations - including World Cup matches - and have only won four of these ties.
In their last nine encounters, Ireland have only one once - their 30-21 victory at Croke Park en route to winning the Grand Slam in 2009.
Ireland's four victories over France since 2000 came in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2009.
The victory in 2000 ended a 15-match run of defeats to France, Ireland drew 15-15 with the French in Lansdowne Road in 1985. You have to go back to 1983 for the last win before that, a 22-16 victory, also at Lansdowne Road.
It makes grim reading doesn't it!
Preview:
A poor Brian O’Driscoll pass to Fergus McFadden and knock-ons from Jonathan Sexton and Sean O’Brien in key positions against Italy cost Ireland the chance to coast into the end of the game in Rome.
The knock-ons came from one-handed, sloppy handling and that casualness must be eradicated if Ireland want to win the tournament; one can guess that the Irish may have taken the threat of Italy – who have not beaten Ireland since 1997 – too lightly.
The Ireland team will not make that error against France in the Aviva.
Realistically Ireland should have been beaten in their first Championship outing of 2011.
Italy smothered Ireland in defence for the majority of the game, hung in when they were being dominated for large periods and in the closing ten minutes played the better rugby.
Why were Ireland not beaten? To put it simply, because of kicking accuracy, or a lack thereof, from Italy.
Mirco Bergamasco’s missed penalty and conversion, as well as Kris Burton’s awful first half drop-goal attempt, and finally substitute Luciano Orquera’s own drop-goal miss, was the difference between the teams.
Sexton and Ronan O’Gara are top-level goalkickers. If Italy had one in their ranks, then Ireland would have lost.
In a tight end-game, France have the firepower to out-gun the Irish on kicks. Dimitri Yachvili and Morgan Parra will be able to make kicks under pressure. Ireland must win the game not by relying on French mistakes, but by taking the game to the opposition.
I suggest two ways in which they can do this. First option: play tight ten-man ‘English’ style rugby. Ireland can grind it out up front and hope to win the arm-wrestle. With the massive power of the France pack in evidence against Scotland, this is a very risky strategy.
The second option is attack. Ireland can meet French firepower head-on and to continue to try the running game that Declan Kidney has attempted to play since the defeat to Scotland in last season’s Six Nations.
This involves quick-phase ball from rucks and clean and off the top line-out ball. Perhaps most importantly, as has been highlighted by many analysts, Ireland need to counter-attack from kicked ball into their 22.
Leinster do this so well in European rugby against top French sides thanks to the superb angles of running from Fijian Isa Nacewa.
If Luke Fitzgerald can emulate his clubmate then Ireland will have key go-forward ball that was so missing in Stadio Flaminio.
Another key for Ireland is O’Gara. If it is a five or less point game in the Aviva as the death knell begins to ring, O’Gara can guide his team tactically like no other.
The Munster stalwart is superb in pressure situations and is still Ireland’s best game controller. Without him the bench is dereft of backline leaders at present. That is a concern going forward, but Ireland must count their blessings to have him and Sexton both fit at present.
Ireland’s ability to grind out possession at the breakdown from their back-row must also improve against France, the lack of a dedicated blindside flanker against Italy was notable and further served to highlight the importance of Stephen Ferris to Ireland’s cause. Sean O’Brien’s re-positioning at number six should aid Ireland in this sense.
France’s scrum caused Scotland plenty of issues last week in Paris, especially in forcing a penalty try in the first half.
In addition, Francois Trinh-Duc and Maxime Medard were the epitomy of French laissez-faire style in backline creativity.
Stymying both these elements, or at least matching them, is key to Ireland keeping a Grand Slam tilt alive.
Scotland’s display must also give Ireland plenty of hope, however.
The rampaging runs of the Scots second and backrows caused the French defence to be stretched and with several tacklers commiting to barmstorming runs, space opened up in the centre and the outside back area.
Jamie Heaslip’s hammering ball-carrying could lead the way in terms of creating this type of space and Ireland certainly have outside backs of the quality to hurt any defence when gaps appear.
Eleven tries conceded by France in their last two match indicates that Ireland can beat Les Bleus and keep a Grand Slam dream, that looked impossible at times in Rome, very much alive.
Teams:
Ireland: L Fitzgerald (Leinster); F McFadden (Leinster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); J Sexton (Leinster), T O'Leary (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S O'Brien (Leinster), D Wallace (Munster), J Heaslip (Leinster)
Replacements: S Cronin (Connacht), T Court (Ulster), L Cullen (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), R O'Gara (Munster), P Wallace (Ulster)
France: C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); Y Huget (Bayonne), A Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne), D Traille (Biarritz), M Medard (Toulouse); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Clermont Auvergne); T Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), W Servat (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan), J Pierre (Clermont Auvergne), L Nallet (Racing Metro), T Dusautoir (Toulouse), J Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz)
Replacements: G Guirado (Perpignan), S Marconnet (Biarritz), J Thion (Biarritz), S Chabal (Racing Metro), D Yachvili (Biarritz), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), V Clerc (Toulouse)
Referee: Dave Pearson (Eng)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes (Eng), David Changleng (Sco)
TMO: Geoff Warren (Eng)
1320 Hello and welcome back. Yesterday's action was Good from England, Bad from Italy and Ugly from Scotland. What's neat categorizations will Ireland and France fit into. Come 5pm this evening, we shall now.
