4 February 13, 2022The Sunday Times 2GS
Rugby Union Guinness Six Nations
France’s prop
Baille, who
threw his weight
around, scores
despite the
efforts of Beirne30 24
FRANCE IRELAND
appeared on the screens at either end
of the pitch.
There was one moment in particu-
lar when Ireland missed Sexton’s
game-management skills. This was
seven minutes from the end, when
France’s lead was six points.
Having won a penalty in the France
half, the stand-in skipper, James Ryan,
had a decision to make. Going to the
corner seemed the obvious call, see-
ing as France were vulnerable and
given Josh van der Flier had already
scored off the maul. But perhaps Ryan
had been spooked by a lineout loss
only a few minutes earlier? A few
players seemed to be in on the
decision-making process and, in the
end, it may have been Iain Hendersonwho made the call to go for goal. You
know what Sexton would have done.
Had France capitulated, it would
have been one of the most sensational
turnarounds in Six Nations history,
for they looked irrepressible, with
ruthless intent backed up by the goal-
kicking of Melvyn Jaminet, who struck
20 points.
In the opening quarter it was as
though France were making a state-
ment — 19 months out from their
opening pool game against New Zea-
land, here in Saint-Denis, they were
setting out their stall. From the spine-
tingling rendition of La Marseillaise,
to the brilliance of the opening try, it
was perfectly scripted, down to the
identity of the tryscorer: Antoine
Dupont, their poster boy.
Admittedly they had some help
from Jamison Gibson-Park when the
scrum half did not put his first exit
into touch, and within a flash
Dupont’s quick throw had France off
and running.
Yoram Moefana and Uini Atonio
both carried strongly but the killer
contribution came from Romain
Ntamack. Arcing towards the outside,
he was able to ride Jack Conan’s chal-
lenge and release inside to Dupont.
What a start. Jaminet converted, then
added a penalty.
There was a brief foreshadowing of
Ireland’s later comeback as Mack
Hansen plucked Joey Carbery’s
restart from Jaminet’s grasp in a bril-
liant piece of opportunism.
France squeezed Ireland at the
set piece and smashed them in con-
tact. Marchand and Cyril Baille threw
their weight like men who’d heardIRELAND REVIVAL
FALLS JUST SHORT
F
rance eventually secured the
victory that keeps them on
course for their first Six
Nations title since 2010 and
perhaps even a grand slam. It
was the right result and the
celebrations in the Stade de
France were suitably raucous.
And yet the way that France stumbled
so desperately in the second half
raises all the old doubts about their
composure and mental strength.
Such was their physical domina-
tion of the first half, when the likes of
Paul Willemse and Julien Marchand
were blasting green shirts aside, that it
felt a little like some of Ireland’s more
humiliating afternoons at the Parc
des Princes. Three minutes into the
second half they led 22-7. They had
outmuscled their opponents in every
phase. It was hard to see where
Ireland could find a toehold in
the contest.
In the space of five minutes the
atmosphere in the stadium trans-
formed from one of raucous celebra-
tion to one of dismay mixed with
bewilderment, as Ireland scored two
tries in quick succession.
This speaks volumes for their unity
of purpose, especially given the
absence of their talisman and captain
Johnny Sexton, who was booed by
French spectators when his faceM ATCH STAT S
France Ireland
2 Trie s 3
46 Possession % 54
52 Territory % 48
100 Scrum success % 100
100 Lineout success % 93
3 Line breaks 3
8 Offloads 7
5 Breakdown steals 3
6 Turnovers won 3
7 Penalties conceded 10
PETER
O’REILLY
At the Stade de France