Ireland 22 - 26 France Post Match Discussion

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BBC I PLAYER LINK
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013sd7v/Rugby_Union_2011_2012_Ireland_v_France/

Ireland's worrying World Cup build-up continued as they were again beaten by France in Saturday's clash in Dublin.

Cian Healy's try helped the Irish lead 8-0 but French hit back with 16 unanswered points before the break including a Cedric Heymans try.

A wild Tomas O'Leary pass gifted a second French try to Francois Trinh-Duc after the break.

Jonathan Sexton and Sean O'Brien scored late tries but injuries to Healy and Felix Jones compounded Irish concerns.

Healy hobbled off after half-time while Jones' hopes of being in the 30-man World Cup squad to be announced on Monday could be in tatters after he was stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury.

With Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy both starting after missing the recent defeats by Wales and the French, the Irish made a lively start and the early pressure yielded a sixth-minute penalty for Sexton.

As the Irish backs exhibited quick hands, a bulldozing run from O'Brien increased the pressure on the French in the eighth minute and the move concluded with Healy barging his way over the opposition line.

France's early difficulties included losing injured fly-half David Skrela who was replaced by Trinh-Duc.

However after being on the backfoot for the opening 15 minutes, France suddenly began a fightback.

Irish scrum-half Tomas O'Leary is the son of former Cork hurling star Seanie O'Leary
Alexis Palisson's run needed a crucial tackle by young Irish full-back Jones with a lean-looking Paul O'Connell doing the mopping up on the ground.

Parra's penalty got the French on the scoreboard in the 24th minute after Keith Earls had been caught in possession.

A dreadful clearance by O'Leary was then punished by Trinh-Duc's thumping drop goal from 48 metres in the 28 minutes as the momentum swung France's way.

O'Driscoll appeared to be at fault for Heyman's try on the half hour as the Irish captain allowed Aurelien Rougerie to step inside him in midfield.

Parra converted the try and with the Irish rapidly losing their way, another penalty from the scrum-half increased the French lead to 16-8 by half-time.

As France continued to produce all the pressure after the break, Parra added another penalty in the 44th minute to leave 11 points between the teams.

O'Leary's nervy display culminated with his wild pass, after a botched scrum move, being intercepted by Trinh-Duc who ran in a simple try from the edge of the Irish 22.

Eoin Reddan was introduced moments later but Parra's conversion had extended the French lead to an apparently out-of-sight 18 points.

Possibly of even greater concern to Declan Kidney was the sight of prop Healy hobbling off after the score and young full-back Jones' World Cup dreams may be over after he was stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury.

With the French appearing to ease up in the closing stages, Sexton and O'Brien were able to barge over for late tries but the scores didn't mask Irish struggles.

Stephen Ferris was introduced for his first action since January after injury while Luke Fitzgerald produced a late cameo but there were few positives for the home side as Ireland's misfiring build-up to the World Cup continued.

The scorers:

For Ireland:
Tries: Healy, Sexton, O'Brien
Pen: Sexton

For France:
Tries: Heymans, Trinh-Duc
Con: Parra 2
Pen: Parra 3
Drop: Trinh-Duc

Ireland: 15 Felix Jones, 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Sean O'Brien, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Jerry Flannery, 17 Tom Court, 18 Mike McCarthy, 19 Stephen Ferris, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Luke Fitzgerald.

France: 15 Cedric Heymans, 14 Maxime Médard, 13 Aurélien Rougerie, 12 Fabrice Estebanez, 11 Alexis Palisson, 10 David Skrela, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Louise Picamoles, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 5 Lionel Nallet, 4 Pascale Papé, Nicolas Mas, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Guilhem Guirado , 17 Fabien Barcella , 18 Julien Pierre, 19 Thierry Dusautoir, 20 Dimitri Yachvili, 21 David Marty, 22 Vincent Clerc, 23 Luc Ducalcon.

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

I would take D'Arcy off to be honest. Him and TOL

I tell you what, does anyone else agree that Sexytoes could be future Irish or Leinster captain?

Reddin on

Cindarella

Oh Thank Flip O'Leary is off

eirebilly wrote:Ireland are imploding

30 minutes left, hard but not impossible, you know what the French can be like!

Some good play here now from Ireland.......argh so close for Earls!!

Well played O'Leary you helped contribute to all Frances points , Reddan is so much better

With TOL off, Ireland look increasingly better.

Reddan looks knackered already!

I think you're right Al, could be a few injuries piling up next week. Thankfully our warm-ups are out of the way and hopefully our injured players on their way to a speedy recovery. Do France have any more games to play, or would this be their third?

Mike blair charges down a poor clearence kick. 18-12 to scotland.

Big moment here from Ireland. They simply must score here

This is their best opportunity...COME ON IRELAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jebus...Billy you must be climbing the walls. Argh noooo!

Terrible, simply terrible from Ireland

I am Cari

Ferris and Flannery on!

Can't see Jennings threatening to take Wally's place to be honest.

nottins_jones wrote:I think you're right Al, could be a few injuries piling up next week. Thankfully our warm-ups are out of the way and hopefully our injured players on their way to a speedy recovery. Do France have any more games to play, or would this be their third?

If you include the Connaght game, thats 5 games Ireland would of played in 4 weeks, before going into a World Cup, where they will play at least 4 more games.

No way is Wally's place under pressure Cari.

We've been spolit this year, it's almost like an extra 6 nations isnt it?

Phew! The DG has gone wide.

Billy - unless he's physically unable to go, I think Wally's ticket to NZ is already booked.

AlynDavies wrote:We've been spolit this year, it's almost like an extra 6 nations isnt it?

That would not have been a bad idea rescheduling the six nations during world cup year.

The French have been warned enough.

ROG may be coming on. Come on Ireland, lets get a try.

ROG's getting ready to come on in his disco shirt....drop goals all the way to a win now then

How clear can he be?????? Use it once, use it twice....... Stupidity

How stupid was that by Flannery ?

Hopefully Ferris had a good run. It would be a positive outcome from a worrying game.

Ha - the ref went to send off POC to the blood bin, and he's just like "Ah, it's a scratch..."

nottins wrote:How stupid was that by Flannery ?

Really stupid. He even tapped him to tell him.

Is Flannery going deaf?

Yes he is deaf in one ear and he cant hear a thing in the other.

Jones is seriously hurt

Jones' ankle is gone. Looks like his RWC is over to me.

Poor Felix Jones It didn't look good. Is this disaster for Ireland? Not the score, but the injuries received during this match?

eirebilly wrote:Jones is seriously hurt

God that looked awful didnt it?
Hope he hasnt snapped anything, but he's definetly damaged it.

That's the problem with these matches players have to give their all but if they get injured there is very little time to recover.
Before the next match I think Ireland and England need to have a good think on who they will wrap in cotton wool

COME ON!!!!!!

Fitzy redeemed himself there.

Sexton..... Finally

Right, come on...fight back has started. ROG with the DG right at the end

Well done fitzgerald and sexton, much better!

This is really annoying we have battered them for most of the game and ever since O'Leary has gone off and we are still getting beaten

Actually. I think i saw ROG doing some clean out work to give Sexton the room for that try

Balls. France in a good attacking position....forward pass missed.

How forward was that?????

Parra named MOTM.

I am glad that his will be over soon. Just goes to show just how much strength in depth the French team have. Scary really

Trimble or POC should have got MOM

Yes they seem to have upped the ante. I think they'll get into the last four in the RWC.