Ireland v France: Six Nations rugby union – live
Key events
TRY! Ireland 13 – 8 France (Dan Sheehan)
42 mins. Ireland start the second half as they did the first by harrying French possession then out-kicking the visitors to muster attacking possession on the 22. The French defence is offside once more and from lineout close in Beirne claims it to set up a maul that Sheehan darts from the rear of to score.
Prendergast kicks a beauty from the right to add two.
Second Half!
We’re back.
“That French 7-1 split looking even more like jeopardy with Dupont off injured.” says Darryl Accone, “But to the bigger point: when South Africa began its 6-2 split there was ringing of hands over ‘destroying the spirit of rugby’, especially from the English rugger establishment. What can those grandees be thinking and saying about the treacherous Gallic 7-1?”
Well Darryl, the Boks of course went with 7-1 split first, leading former Scotland coach and Australian person Matt Williams to describe it as “immoral”. So we’ve already had the full-on thermonuclear take from an idiot on it.
I don’t want to get into it too much here, but the contact by Beirne on Dupont’s leg that removed him from the game looks very citable in the officials’ post match reviews.
A frenetic, eventful half ends as close on the board as it was on the field. Two evenly matched teams cannot dig enough out of each other to get full ahead and it’s wonderfully poised.
How big an impact will the injury to Dupont be? It’s odd to write, but France may benefit from having Lucu on – or at least not suffer as much as a Dupont absence suggests. The replacement’s style gives a bit more shape and rhythm to the attack and this, along with France’s massive bench, could be what they need in the second half.
Half Time!
That’s the last act of the half.
PENALTY! Ireland 6 – 8 France (Sam Prendergast)
40 mins. Flament is offside on halfway as he lazily doesn’t return behind the back foot when under very little pressure. Prendergast fancies it from halfway and his confidence, as well as the swing of his leg, is well placed.
39 mins. What was I saying about terrible drills? This time it’s Penaud’s turn who retreats to gather a kick with all the urgency of a stoned man telling you an anecdote, when he finally reaches the ball Osborne is all over him and he falls over when trying to run away from the Irishman.
It’s pure luck that Ireland then knock-on in the resulting melee and a solid scrum allows Lucu to exit from the boot.
PENALTY! Ireland 3 – 8 France (Thomas Ramos)
35 mins. Porter doesn’t bother moving out of Penaud’s way as the winger chases the kick off. It’s a penalty and Ramos wastes not time in reinstating the five point gap.
Horrible drill from Ireland that ruins their recent score.
PENALTY! Ireland 3 – 5 France (Sam Prendergast)
34 mins. Ireland run their first real backs pattern off a scrum leading to an an angled kick from Osborne that bounces into Nash’s arms. France scramble to get amongst the ruck but it’s once again illegal.
Prendergast sensibly takes the points.
31 mins. Joe McCarthy is back on, by the way.
30 mins. The visitors don’t let this put them off their stride as they work the ball left and right in the Ireland half. Eventually it finds Bielle-Biarrey who attempts a trademark chip and chase that is brought to a halt by O’Mahoney chopping him down. There’s some displeasure from the French fans, but it looked fine on the replay – O’Mahony was legitimately going for a chargedown and followed through.
28 mins. Time off for a few minutes as Dupont receives treatment to his knee. He’s off and Lucu is on! That’s France’s backs subs exhausted within half an hour and they’ve lost their talisman.
27 mins. A massive maul marches France fifteen metres into the Ireland half as they make the home side pay for the lack of McCarthy ballast. They get busy on the 22 but there’s a lack of precision allowing Ireland to clear via the boot of Osborne.
23 mins. This is the most insane exit from France you will ever see. Ramos is caught deep in his 22, so he offloads to Bielle-Biarrey who cross-kicks across his own tryline to Penaud who catches it in-goal an kicks it clear.
Absolute madness. Wonderful madness.
TRY! Ireland 0 – 5 France (Louis Bielle Biarrey)
21 mins. The ball is won from the lineout in the corner and Dupont runs blind, which sucks an bamboozled Prendergast onto Ntamack meaning the French captain can fizz a miss-pass to his winger to walk in.
Ramos misses the conversion from the left touchline.
YELLOW CARD! Joe McCarthy (Ireland)
19 mins. Ramos comes into the line in the 13 channel to feed Bielle-Biarrey. As fullback goes to follow him in support McCarthy grabs his collar and pulls him to the ground. It was cynical, obvious, stupid and gets the card it deserves.
18 mins. France warm a few pairs of hands with some phases, but a big counter-ruck from Ireland wins the ball back. A kicking period follows with each side given the ball some air.
Penaud wins a kick on the chase but Doris whips it off him. The ruck work from both sides is ferocious.
16 mins. The longer this goes on, the more France will take succour as they are repelling everything Ireland have chucked their way. The latest has them forcing a green knock on for Ramos to gather the ball and boom it clear and on the return Aki enters a ruck from the side. Here comes some possession for Les Blues in Irish territory.
14 mins. Ireland are on the 5m line and sending waves of attack at the blue wall, which has held for 12 phases before the ball pops loose under pressure from the French tackling. Penaud is first to it and he runs free to find Dupont on the scissor who runs all the way to ground it.
But wait! The ref thinks the initial ball spill was a blue knock-on. The TMO agrees and the score is chalked off, but that’s a signal lesson of how France can do you.
12 mins. It’s another penalty against France, this time for Alldritt using hands in ruck. That’s a penalty every three minutes for the visitors so far and Ireland take the lineout in the corner option once more.
10 mins. Despite the early penalties France are not being shy at the ruck and this is rewarded with Mauvaka winning a penalty for clamping on the ball. They can do little with it, though, as two phases later Doris does something similar to win one in kickable range. He throws the ball to to Prendergast who sends it but it bounces off the left post and out.
7 mins. A catch and drive at the lineout has Ireland driving towards the line and France are offside again. It’s three quick penalties but the ref isn’t talking about cards yet.
Sheehan drives to the line but is dropped short before Doris has a go but is held up by Alldritt over the line. France are creaking under this opening onslaught.
5 mins. The first scrum of the game is an Ireland one just inside the French half and the visiting pack are pinged for an early shove. Slight advantage to the home side in the early set piece. Gibson-Park taps and goes quickly and Les Bleus defence is infringing all over the place which gives Prendergast the chance to put the ball in the corner.
2 mins. Neat and tidy from Ireland who hit up a few carries before Gibson-Park sends a kick up that is chased and won back by the home side. They move it quickly left as France scramble but it all becomes frenetic as the ball pings about a bit, eventually finding Ramos who boots it clear.
Ireland are not mucking about, in case you were in any doubt.
Kick Off!
Ref Gardner toots his disciplinary flute and Ntamack sends the ball skyward. GAME ON!
The officials in charge of infuriating people in comment sections today:
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England) and Christophe Ridley (England)
Television Match Official (TMO): Ian Tempest (England)
The internet tells me that the live win probability is 55/45 is Ireland’s favour. Feels about right and it was probably 60/40 until Lowe was crocked.
As much as we’d love to keep expanding The Clincher universe, the teams are about to head out.
Peter O’Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray are first out of the tunnel to mark their final home appearances. As you can imagine, there’s a warm and rapturous applause.
George Holmes emails “The Clincher 12: The Clinch That Stole Christmas”
Yes!
Lowe pulls out of game after warm-up injury
The withdrawal of James Lowe with a very late warm-up injury is confirmed, he’s replaced by Calvin Nash.
Ireland now start like this:
Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Calvin Nash; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Brian Parsons emails with an incredible contribution to our The Clincher franchise.
“The Clincher 9: 99 Problems But A Clinch Ain’t One.”
Chapeau, Brian.
James Lowe has taken a knock in the warm-up and limped off. There’s no confirmation if he’s been pulled from the match squad as yet. We wait…
That would be a huge blow, particularly the loss of his kicking option.
Shaun Edwards is talking to ITV and has just said, on the 7-1 split, “we definitely have back rowers who can play in the centre if needs be”.
I am absolutely here for Jelonch at 12. Please make it happen.
Rob Kitson offers his thoughts on the match
Why not get in touch? What are your thoughts on the 7-1 bench? Or perhaps you want to tell me about something else, like your favourite The Clincher film that you’ve just made up?
Send all this and more to my email or if you are so disposed, I’m on that Bluesky now
Teams
Ireland welcome back Hugo Keenan and Caelan Doris to the starting lineup following injury, while Bundee Aki returns to the centre due to Gary Ringrose’s red card suspension.
Galthie has decided the solution to the wall his side must get over today is to name a bench capable of smashing it to pieces. Then eating it. We can debate the 7-1 bench split as much as you like but there is something viscerally elemental about naming seven massive lads to come on after an hour or so, ignoring the risk a few injuries means Cyrille Baille at fullback. But who wouldn’t want to see that? I’m struggling to see a downside.
In other news, Damien Penaud and Romain Ntamack are back in the starting XV.
Ireland
Hugo Keenan; Jamie Osborne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Finlay Bealham; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley.
France
Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey,; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont; Jean Baptiste-Gros, Peato Mauvaka, Uini Atonio; Thibaud Flament, Mickael Guillard; Francois Cros, Paul Boudehent, Gregory Alldritt
Replacements: Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldegheri, Emmanuel Meafou, Hugo Auradou, Oscar Jegou, Anthony Jelonch, Maxime Lucu
Preamble
The Clincher™ sounds like many things. A terrible series of action films starring Jason Statham (my personal favourite is The Clincher 5: All Clinch, No Flinch), the finishing move of a mid-level WWE Superstar, or perhaps a nickname that James Haskell gave himself that everyone refuses use. It’s also absolutely the right description for today’s match between the tournament’s big two with the outcome pretty much deciding where the trophy ends up next week.
Ireland enter proceedings undefeated and with the dual advantages of a home tie with a more settled side and more even form than the French visitors, but neither team have shown their absolute best so far. Simon Easterby’s men are uneven in attack with a new “kick-first” plan jointly conducted by Jamison Gibson-Park and his favourite child Sam Prendergast; while Fabien Galthie has given off vibes more muddled than his optician’s recommendations with selection, gameplan, plus – whisper it – Shaun Edwards’s much vaunted defence is misfiring.
The previous two matches between the nations were comfortable wins for Ireland, including the away win in Marseille last year. France would no doubt like to point out that 2024 was a Dupont-less France, therefore it doesn’t count as far as they are concerned. Ireland will have none of that, but they are also not the team they were in 2023 or 2024. All of this plus the stakes makes the outing today a fascinating one.
Kick off is at 2:15 GMT so there’s still time to watch The Clincher 7: Give ‘em A Clinch Before They Take A Mile while you wait.
