France v Ireland, 11 October

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FRANCE v IRELAND
11 October 2015
KO: 16:45
The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Live on [tbc]

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges:Wayne Barnes (England) & Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)

A. Head to Head

93 Played 93
55 Won 31
7 Drawn 7
31 Lost 55
1508 Points 1084

B. Recent Form

14 February 2015
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
18 – 11 to Ireland

15 March 2014
Stade de France, Saint Denis
20 – 22 to Ireland

9 March 2013
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
13 – 13 Draw

4 March 2012
Stade de France, Saint Denis
17 – 17 Draw

20 August 2011
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
22 – 26 to France

13 August 2011
Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
19 – 12 to France

C. Teams

FRANCE

15 Scott Spedding, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Brice Dulin, 10 Frederic Michalak, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Rabah Slimani, 4 Pascal Pape, 5 Yoann Maestri, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 7 Damien Chouly, 8 Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Nicolas Mas, 19 Alexandre Flanquart, 20 Bernard Le Roux, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Remi Tales, 23 Alexandre Dumoulin.

IRELAND

15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Robbie Henshaw , 11 Dave Kearney,  10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Conor Murray; 1 Cian Healy, 2 Rory Best, 3 Mike Ross, 4 Devin Toner, 5 Paul O'Connell (c), 6 Peter O'Mahony, 7 Sean O'Brien, 8 Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Nathan White, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Chris Henry, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Luke Fitzgerald.

Far too many basic errors. You have to be accurate.

FFS, if POM is injured we may as well pack up and go home

With Henderson on, I think the pack is actually a bit stronger but will now miss POC's leadership

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:That was where you want to see Earls use his pace to go through the half-gap, but he passes instead.

Ok, I will bite. Earls was covered hence is quick offload to SOB. Cant blame him for that drop.

I don't blame him for anything that happens after. But thats him not taking the opportunity to use what has been described as his asset- people want him in the team to see him using his pace and footwork to turn those opportunities into line breaks. There was a chance for the half-break or break there, turned down. It was very strange. When it's on, you want him to back himself.

Gwlad wrote:Madigan needs to settle down a bit, this could come down to an interception try. Irish set piece is solid, pin France back and take the pens

like i said, Mads need to calm down a bit

At the risk of opening a can of worms, is The Fields of Athenry a southern Irish song or an all-inclusive ditty?

Henshaw does what I'm talking about... he's been very good today.

Compare Henshaw with Earls today. One had looked like an international, the other out of his depth.

Notch wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:That was where you want to see Earls use his pace to go through the half-gap, but he passes instead.

Ok, I will bite. Earls was covered hence is quick offload to SOB. Cant blame him for that drop.

I don't blame him for anything that happens after. But thats him not taking the opportunity to use what has been described as his asset- people want him in the team to see him using his pace and footwork to turn those opportunities into line breaks. There was a chance for the half-break or break there, turned down. It was very strange. When it's on, you want him to back himself.

The French defender hit a fraction of a second after his offload?

YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get in there. At last!!!

Frak well done ireland

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:That was where you want to see Earls use his pace to go through the half-gap, but he passes instead.

Ok, I will bite. Earls was covered hence is quick offload to SOB. Cant blame him for that drop.

I don't blame him for anything that happens after. But thats him not taking the opportunity to use what has been described as his asset- people want him in the team to see him using his pace and footwork to turn those opportunities into line breaks. There was a chance for the half-break or break there, turned down. It was very strange. When it's on, you want him to back himself.

The French defender hit a fraction of a second after his offload?

I would expect him at full-flight to make at least several yards through the tackle there at worst, clean line break at best.

French heads will drop now

Exiled Gael wrote:Compare Henshaw with Earls today. One had looked like an international, the other out of his depth.

I find this a little harsh. His drop was shocking but he was in the right place running the perfect supporting line. The rest of the game he has been defensively solid and quite threatening in attack. One drop does not make him out of his depth.

Gret try for Kearney.

Game on, going down the weak 10 channel

Pressure!!!

Come on - time to turn the screw. Les Bleus are rattled.

Notch wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:

eirebilly wrote:

Notch wrote:That was where you want to see Earls use his pace to go through the half-gap, but he passes instead.

Ok, I will bite. Earls was covered hence is quick offload to SOB. Cant blame him for that drop.

I don't blame him for anything that happens after. But thats him not taking the opportunity to use what has been described as his asset- people want him in the team to see him using his pace and footwork to turn those opportunities into line breaks. There was a chance for the half-break or break there, turned down. It was very strange. When it's on, you want him to back himself.

The French defender hit a fraction of a second after his offload?

I would expect him at full-flight to make at least several yards through the tackle there at worst, clean line break at best.

Then you would scold him for not offloading to SOB when the overlap was on...

Good patience in the build up for the try and nicely taken

POM is Donald Duck'ed after that cracking tackle

Sorry Eirebilly, I agree with Notch on this. Earls could have made a half break, sucking in two defenders and gone for an offload if possible creating an overlap. I think Earls was mentally shot after his error. But all he needs is to do something to build his confidence and he'll be fine.

This is in the bag for Ireland now I feel. France not making the same inroads as Ireland.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:At the risk of opening a can of worms, is The Fields of Athenry a southern Irish song or an all-inclusive ditty?

I love a good chorus of 'The Fields.' I think the ethos of Irish Rugby isn't about this kind of 'this is your culture over here, this is our culture over there' territorial mentality that blights our politics in NI. Its about rising above all of that. North or South it's our culture. So I don't think about it like that.

Ok i take it back Madigan should let loose!

POM doesn't look great.

POM looks like he's out of the World Cup as well. Out tournament goose is cooked

Looks like a break for O'Mahony.

Getting like Wales with all the injuries

eirebilly wrote:Then you would scold him for not offloading to SOB when the overlap was on...

No I don't think he should be offloading out of the tackle. I think he should be playing to his strengths. I don't think that pass was the right decision.

Exiled Gael wrote:Sorry Eirebilly, I agree with Notch on this. Earls could have made a half break, sucking in two defenders and gone for an offload if possible creating an overlap. I think Earls was mentally shot after his error. But all he needs is to do something to build his confidence and he'll be fine.

Well I don't agree as he was hit immediately after and you all would have him for not offloading with an overlap.

He did well to make a great cover tackle towards the end of the first half when France were away so he has not let his head drop like he used to do.

Is there something wrong with this pitch, sooooo many leg injuries cause by how players land on it.

Well Ireland will need to win this now as with those injuries i just can't see them beating NZ

Argentina a beter proposition though

Aus in the semi's….

Ireland seem to be on the way to avoiding the ABs but who will be left to take the field next week?

Still 25 mins left though - France can still score plenty in that time left.

TightHEAD wrote:Is there something wrong with this pitch, sooooo many leg injuries cause by how players land on it.

Just one of them things really, luck of the draw

I don't think we can beat New Zealand without the injured players, but I would not write us off versus Argentina. Huge 20 mins now.

Can the PA system just play the opening music to M*A*S*H?
With POC, POM and Sexton all with serious injuries and SOB likely to cop a ban, you have to hang on and "only" have the Argies rather than the ABs

TightHEAD wrote:Is there something wrong with this pitch, sooooo many leg injuries cause by how players land on it.

and remember this is where halfpenny was injured…but i dont think a pitch could actually cause injuries

That Spedding sure can kick.

Incidentally whatever happens in this game I would not start Healy next week. He still looks rusty.

and has given pens and spilled in contact

no SOB, POM, POC or SEX, you'll need him tho

Turnovers keeping us in it. Love to see a team getting over the ball. Best and SOB superb.

Ignoring his moment of naughtiness, SOB is having a brilliant game

Best and SOB have been superb today. SOB won't play again so he needs to make up for it

TightHEAD wrote:Is there something wrong with this pitch, sooooo many leg injuries cause by how players land on it.

It's the same Desso pitch used at Twickenham, the Aviva in Ireland, a huge number of premiership football grounds, etc.

Hate it when Murray tries to milk it

Fitzgerald on for Earls. Feel for Earls. Fans of Ireland can be very fickle, no doubt he gives it his all.

Got to feel sorry for Keith Earls- had a shocker and looked like a nasty blow to the head perhaps

nathan wrote:Hate it when Murray tries to milk it

It's not just Murray - it's any scrum half that tries that trick

Murray with a stupid, stupid decision throwing that pass in a good position. Criminal

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

nathan wrote:Hate it when Murray tries to milk it

It's not just Murray - it's any scrum half that tries that trick

Wasn't excluding anyone! I agree with you, it's as bad as diving