6 Nations 2016: France v Ireland 13th February

First topic message reminder :

Someone has to do it!

No whistles or bells, just like our team selection  

France: Maxime Medard, Teddy Thomas, Maxime Mermoz; Jonathan Danty, Virimi Vakatawa; Jules Plisson, Sebastien Bezy; Jefferson Poirot, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Uini Atonio, Alexandre Flanquart, Yoann Maestri, Wenceslas Lauret, Yacouba Camara, Damien Chouly.
Replacements: Camille Chat, Rabah Slimani, Eddy Ben Arous, Paul Jedresiak, Loann Goujon, Maxime Machenaud, Jean-Marc Doussain, Hugo Bonneval.


Ireland: Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Jared Payne, Robbie Henshaw, Dave Kearney, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best (capt), Nathan White, Mike McCarthy, Devin Toner, CJ Stander, Sean O'Brien, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Richardt Strauss, James Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Donnacha Ryan, Tommy O'Donnell, Eoin Reddan, Ian Madigan, Fergus McFadden.

Somebody else can add in the fancy stuff.

SOB knee doesn't look good..

'Daverage' takes a French winger on the outside 

Ireland are showing ambition in terms of their passing game, looking to probe the wide channels, but still letting errors kill our momentum. That was good attacking play until the knock-on.

This is so messy

Ireland dominating territory but I would feel so, so much better if we could actually convert one of these chances.

France are handing us a lot of territory with really slightly ashambolic mistakes.

BamBam wrote:Brian Moore is losing his voice

He lost it last week - it was rough during his radio show - and it hasn't come back.

Points lads. Points.

That's a disgraceful tackle, what are the refs watching?

Two slightly late and slightly high tackles at the same time.

Kearney Jnr took some punishment in that passage

Thats just a silly one by Toner.

Can't believe we're only three points ahead on the balance of play.

France are awful, they look totally disjointed in attack. Ireland showing some invention but are really making some basic mistakes. I have a feeling that the French subs will have a big impact on this match.

France actually start putting good phases together... then a pointless drop-goal attempt. What can you say? Thanks, I suppose?

Irish players are dropping like flies.

Worrying times

The quality of our passes is really poor. Defends better than last week but the rest is actually worst.

Maybe Ireland should have just gone straight to the hospital rather than play the game.

Oh great work from Payne

Surely McGrath is not scrummaging legally there?

Golden wrote:Surely McGrath is not scrummaging legal there?

Think Ireland scrum did a great job behind him and managed to eject the French TH

Penalties from the restart are the absolute worst! Uhhh, this game is almost as frustrating as the Ulster game last night....

Not quite a 'mare but Toner certainly hasn't helped the team out in this half.

Is it so much to ask for a try or dare I say two? France Ireland is usually such an entertaining contest...

I think that both Kearney's (granted that Dave has gone off) have not done anything to justify their selection.

Payne and Heaslip have been the best Irish players in my opinion Just so many mistakes...

Thank god for half time.

Hope they have enough ice packs to go around

Really happy with how comfortable we look but concerned that we haven't got more points.I think if it was drier we'd be in better shape as we are showing real ambition to move the ball but it's so hard to keep hold of it.

White has been everywhere in defence. Massive shift from him

Well, there probably will be a few tries in the second half when the physicality tells. Hopefully not on us, but the French have more brute force and ignorance on the bench to come on and we've already lost several guys.

It's been brutal in terms of physicality, sloppy in terms of quality and one of those games that makes it hard to argue this tournament is up there with the best in the sport.

You'll go a long when to see a more turgid 40 mins of rugby. Very poor spectacle.

Ireland certainly in the wars today. How many injured players so far.

France making quite a few mistakes, knock ons, dropping the ball ect.


I think the second half France will come out and be more dominant and could just about sneek it.

Unless Ireland tighten up their game think they will lose.

The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots. Although I'm sure this is how they felt after the SOB punch during the RWC...

Physical first half, not sure this is the type of game Ireland want to play, theyre not at 100% after last week!!!

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots.

Agreed, and it should be no surprised to the officials they'll be going after Sexton by means both fair and foul- they do the same thing every time we play. You'd expect them to have prepared for that.

Notch wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots.

Agreed, and its no secret they'll be going after Sexton- they do the same thing every time we play.

The much maligned Pro 12 officials wouldn't even have missed these incidents.

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots. Although I'm sure this is how they felt after the SOB punch during the RWC...

I don't agree theyre cheap shots, theyre just nudges after the ball on the 10, every forward who's ever played the game has done the same, Sexton goes off his feet so easily for my liking!

Weather conditions are certainly not helping... Maybe a try or two in the 2nd half but likely to come from a turnover or 5m lineout. Can't see France doing anything but damage limitation given they haven't been inside the Irish 22 yet

Dave Kearney being described as an 'influential player'

Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

whocares wrote:Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

Don't agree there, France do have a history of targeting Sexton. I remember Basteraud targeting him heavily when he was playing.

Fanster wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots. Although I'm sure this is how they felt after the SOB punch during the RWC...

I don't agree theyre cheap shots, theyre just nudges after the ball on the 10, every forward who's ever played the game has done the same, Sexton goes off his feet so easily for my liking!

Fanster, the first late shot will mean a citing. Goes down easy? Sexton is a player who always gets way tooo involved with the physical stuff, so not sure how you can think that.

whocares wrote:Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

Have to agree

Fanster wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots. Although I'm sure this is how they felt after the SOB punch during the RWC...

I don't agree theyre cheap shots, theyre just nudges after the ball on the 10, every forward who's ever played the game has done the same, Sexton goes off his feet so easily for my liking!

Just so that you are aware, in the game of rugby union it is illegal to intentionally bodycheck the opposition player. If you look directly at the player, change your direction of running and lead with the shoulder then that is a professional foul. Whether you think it is a cheap shot or not is irrelevant, in the laws of the game it is illegal and for good reason. It is also completely untrue that a late tackle or bodycheck on the 10 is allowed in the professional game. It is penalised when it is seen by the referee.

However I have noticed that you like to be a contrarian for the sake of it.

eirebilly wrote:

whocares wrote:Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

Don't agree there, France do have a history of targeting Sexton. I remember Basteraud targeting him heavily when he was playing.

You mean one or two games is enough to be considered as "history" ?

wolfball wrote:

Fanster wrote:

Rory_Gallagher wrote:The referee is having a sloppier game than anyone else. Not only does he have no control over the breakdown, I can't believe that both he and the TMO are letting the French are get away with these cheap shots. Although I'm sure this is how they felt after the SOB punch during the RWC...

I don't agree theyre cheap shots, theyre just nudges after the ball on the 10, every forward who's ever played the game has done the same, Sexton goes off his feet so easily for my liking!

Fanster, the first late shot will mean a citing. Goes down easy? Sexton is a player who always gets way tooo involved with the physical stuff, so not sure how you can think that.

Citing? it was a nudge after the ball went!

Sexton gets involved in the physical stuff possibly, despite him wearing bigger shoulder pads than Joan Collins, and retreating in contact faster than a Polish army circa 1936!

It was a cheeky nudge after the ball had gone, penalty yes, citing? This is not football!!

whocares wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

whocares wrote:Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

Don't agree there, France do have a history of targeting Sexton. I remember Basteraud targeting him heavily when he was playing.

You mean one or two games is enough to be considered as "history" ?

Considering they only play each other once maybe twice a year, the last three 6N have seen Sexton targeted by the French so I do consider that a history of targeting him.

Why didn't Ireland play this poor against us?

whocares wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

whocares wrote:Besides I don't think anyone is particularly targeting Sexton given Madigan is on the bench and he hurt us real bad last time

Don't agree there, France do have a history of targeting Sexton. I remember Basteraud targeting him heavily when he was playing.

You mean one or two games is enough to be considered as "history" ?

When you play one game a year thats three years.

God this game is dull for the neutral

Unfortunately the bickering on this thread (silly as it is) is more entertaining than the rugby - which is rubbish.

Can't pass without dropping the ball and can't kick as well... Will be very complicate to score more points!

Ref, blow this up and put everyone out of their misery! Seriously

Both teams can use the extra time to do some basic passing drills

Notch wrote:Ref, blow this up and put everyone out of their misery! Seriously

Both teams can use the extra time to do some basic passing drills